ERP, CRM Incentives Offered by Microsoft

Microsoft Corp. reportedly has announced what company officials are calling “three major incentive offerings” for ERP and CRM customers.

The first is Business Ready Flexible Pay, which gives new Microsoft (News - Alert) Dynamics ERP and CRM customers in the United States “the option to purchase the products today but pay for them in equal payments over three years.” Microsoft officials say this isn’t just financing with associated interest charges and application processes, but “an opportunity for businesses to manage their budgets.” While other vendors have “significantly raised” their maintenance fees over the past year, Microsoft officials claim, Microsoft “has held its enhancement rates steady.”


In the second incentive, designed to make it easier for companies to move to Microsoft’s ERP, starting in May, select partners will be able to extend their customers an offer to move to Microsoft Dynamics ERP with a 50 percent discount on licensing, and receive a rebate equal to 25 percent of the suggested retail price of Microsoft Dynamics, up to a maximum of $25,000 “to help offset the costs of switching from Sage MAS 90 or MAS 200, or Oracle’s (News - Alert) JD Edwards EnterpriseOne.”

 

Thirdly, Microsoft says Dynamics CRM can be purchased as a stand-alone product from Business Ready Licensing. Microsoft Dynamics CRM will still be available through Microsoft’s Volume Licensing programs.

 

Earlier this month MCnet reported that Varicent Software, which sells incentive compensation and sales performance management products, announced what company officials called “an integrated product” with Microsoft Dynamics CRM. 

The move was characterized by Varicent officials as producing a tool to help sales managers and sales users get a complete view of sales performance, compensation results and key performance indicators and better visibility into inquiries, compensation and plan approvals from a single application. It was also touted as helping users “manage other incentives, including Management by Objectives,” and to “facilitate the development and management of quota plans.”