Marketplace

Announcing the Customer and Partner Relationship Management Portals!

by C.R. Matín on March 8, 2011

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I am excited to announce the release of the Customer Portal and Partner Relationship Management (PRM) Portal solutions for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011!

They can be downloaded from the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace at:

These solutions are the graduated replacements of the portal Accelerators for Microsoft Dynamics CRM which were previously available on CodePlex. Both of these portals will run on Windows Azure or on your own web servers and they will work against Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 both Online and on-premises.

We engaged with Adxstudio Inc. on this project to update the portals to run on Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. These solutions use the new solutions framework in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 so they are easier to deploy and manage. We also added some new features, leveraged new functionality in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 to improve some portal experiences and fixed several bugs.

So what can you do with these solutions?

eService

First and foremost, you can provide self-service capabilities to your customers and partners via these web portals. Both portals are fully integrated into Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 and allow web users to view and edit personal information, open service cases, search the KB for a solution, and schedule services in a timeframe that meets their needs.

Product Registration

You can expose product registration functionality to the portal so that your customers can register their specific product purchase information. This information is connected to their contact information in CRM and can be used for many sales, marketing and service scenarios.

Event Management

The event management module allows you to seamlessly plan, manage and optimize events with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. Events can be published to the portal where customers can register their attendance for these events. You can then track all responses and leads from those events to maximize business opportunities.

Your customers or partners can view the events calendar, register for one or more events and add the registration information to their calendar.

Partner Relationship Management

The Partner Relationship Management (PRM) portal allows partners to easily engage with your organization on co-selling opportunities.

You can better track, manage and leverage partners by distributing sales leads and centrally managing sales opportunities through the partner portal. Partners can register deals they are working on and download sales literature that you publish to the portal directly from Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. You also have the ability to create an “opportunity pool” for sales opportunities with no attached partner. These opportunities are published to the Partner Portal and partners can then “bid” for the right to manage a specific opportunity. The PRM solution allows you to track revenue generated by partners directly in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 which allows for better measurement of partner performance.

Partners are able to easily collaborate and co-sell with you via the portal in a convenient and secure way.

Manage web content from the portal itself

You can customize the functionality, pages, links, formatting, images and all text that goes on the web portal via the portal itself without having any knowledge of web programming.

These portals are community supported so if you have any questions or comments then post them on the CRM Labs Solutions forum. There is a vibrant community of customers and partners who are already using these solutions and should be able to help.

Enjoy!

Palak Kadakia



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Driving Success with the New Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace!

by C.R. Matín on January 27, 2011

On January 17th we launched Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online in 40 markets and 41 languages, fundamentally changing the shape of the on-demand CRM category around the world.  On the same date, we launched the new Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace (http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/marketplace), available and localized in 20 markets: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Germany, France, India, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Austria, Russia and Japan.  The new Marketplace is a critical component of our current launch strategy for Dynamics CRM Online and Dynamics CRM 2011, and is a key element of our Dynamics ERP strategy as well.

The Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace is a new online service – based on Microsoft Pinpoint -- that helps our customers maximize the relevancy and value of their Microsoft Dynamics investments by connecting them with valuable, high-quality applications and professional services from our worldwide Microsoft Partner Network (MPN).   At launch, the Marketplace has more than 1,400 solution listings, including over 700 application listings and over 700 professional services listing for both CRM and ERP

Frequently Asked Questions

This document provides answers to the most frequently asked questions relating to the Microsoft Dynamics® Marketplace.

About the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace

Q:           What is the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace?

A:            The Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace is an online service that connects Microsoft Dynamics customers with partner business listings for Microsoft Dynamics applications, professional services, or both.  It provides searchable listings of partner applications, professional services, and firms.  Customers visiting the marketplace can browse and search for solutions and service providers, view demos, and download and deploy Dynamics applications (directly from Microsoft Partner websites). 

Q:           Who is it for?

A:            The Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace serves several groups including Microsoft Dynamics partners, customers, and developers.  Partners can use the marketplace to showcase their software and professional services offerings. Customers can search for the best Microsoft Dynamics solutions and professional service providers for their needs. Developers can search for and download widgets, add-ons, and open source solutions.

Q:           What's the URL for the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace?

A:            www.Microsoft.com/Dynamics/Marketplace

Q:           How does the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace work?

A:            The marketplace is powered by Pinpoint, Microsoft's core marketplace platform for business customers seeking skilled IT experts, innovative software applications, and professional services.  At the end of June 2011, the Microsoft Partner Network will retire the current Solution Profiler and Solution Finder tools. Pinpoint will replace these tools and become the official Microsoft business marketplace. All application and service listings on the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace are pulled directly from the Pinpoint platform.

Q:           What countries and languages does the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace support? 

A:            By the end of February 2011 the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace will be available in 35 countries and 19 languages. Counties supported: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Russia, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States.

Listings on the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace

Q:           How does a partner get listed on the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace?

A:            To participate in the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace, a partner must create a listing on Pinpoint. Partners self-profile themselves and their offerings, which are then validated by Microsoft subsidiaries. See http://pinpoint.microsoft.com/getlisted for more information. 

Q:           Are there special qualifications required for Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace listings?

A:            Yes.  A Microsoft partner needs to have either the CRM or ERP competency in order to get listed on the marketplace.  For solution listings, partners must be an authorized reseller of Microsoft Dynamics solution or have a solution that is verified as Microsoft Platform-Ready.  Additionally, there is an optional Certified for Microsoft Dynamics (CfMD) designation available for an additional fee.

Q:           Is there a fee for listings on the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace?

A:            Listings on the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace are free for Microsoft partners, however solutions and applications must meet the competency and Microsoft Platform-Ready requirements. There are fees for the optional Certified for Microsoft Dynamics (CfMD) designation.

Q:           What are the fees for Certified for Microsoft Dynamics (CfMD)?

A:            Fees for the Certified for Microsoft Dynamics designation begin at $2,800 depending on the solution. More information about the CfMD program is available here.

Q:           Who does the testing, and decides the criteria for testing?

A:            For Dynamics CRM, it's a self-test accessible through www.MicrosoftPlatformReady.com. For Dynamics ERP (AX, NAV, GP, SL) testing is available through Lionbridge/VeriTest.  More information can be found at http://pinpoint.microsoft.com/getlisted.

Q:           What can partners list and the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace, and what are the listing options?

A:            Partners have five options for what they can list on the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace:

  • Freeware – You can develop a compelling freeware application and use it to generate interest in billable hours work.  A freeware offering can be a good way to attract leads.
  • Open Source Samples – An open source sample can be an effective way to court interest from Dynamics developers who are building their own solutions.  The open source sample can be the catalyst for building a business relationship with the developer who uses it.
  • Widgets and Add-ons – In some cases, you might develop a user-facing solution component that complements a larger application or offers distinctive functionality.  Widgets are a good example of this kind of component.  In addition, you may list application “building blocks” that developers can use to accelerate their solution delivery.  Examples of these types of add-ons include templates, dialogs, workflows, and .net objects.
  • Turnkey Solutions – It is possible to develop a fully featured, turnkey solution based on Dynamics CRM.  Examples include industry-specific CRM solutions, integrations with other applications, and applications customized to specialized information worker roles.
  • Listing Only – This option is for professional services firms that want to list themselves for billable hours work.

Q:           Can partners list solutions in multiple countries?

A:            Yes, partners can list their solutions in counties outside of their “home country” provided they include two Microsoft Dynamics Customer References per country they wish to list in.

Dynamics Marketplace Functionality

Q:           How do partners indicate pricing for either Cloud or Standalone purchase?  Does the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace allow the option of click-try-buy?

A:            Licensing options, including pricing, would be included in the application listing. Today the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace supports ‘click’ and ‘try’; ‘buy’ will be added in the future.

Q:           Does the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace offer an e-commerce function for partners to sell their solutions via the marketplace?

A:            Not at this time.  In the current release, the marketplace allows listing of solutions that are for sale, but the partner is responsible for handling the transaction.  Future releases will offer full e-commerce functionality.

Q:           Does Microsoft collect the fees for partner solutions and pay a royalty to the partner?

A:            No. This “bill on behalf of” partner function is not available in the current release of the marketplace; however, this functionality is being considered for future releases. The partner is responsible for invoicing and collection of payment. 

Q:           If partners are charging per user per month and need to cripple the software if not paid, can code be included that reports user counts back via the application?

A:            Yes

Q:           How can a partner secure a downloadable solution on the marketplace to avoid copying e.g. by a competitor?

A:            In the current release of the marketplace, anyone is able to download solution files to their computer.   As a result, this does pose a risk that a competitor could download your solution. The plan for future releases of the marketplace includes direct provisioning of solution packages into a Microsoft Dynamics CRM instance in order to help mitigate this risk.

Q:           Is it possible to deactivate / hide the marketplace in a Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 environment?

A:            For users without the privilege of viewing and downloading applications from the marketplace, an administrator can turn off/hide access to the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace.

Cheers,

Matt Valentine



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