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How existing customers get on to the latest version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Upgrades Are Here

As most of you have probably seen, we’ve announced the availability of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online January 2011 Service update, powered by Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 technology. We started to take trials for this new version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online last month. If you’re interested, you can sign up for a free trial on the Dynamics CRM Website.

Many of you, however, are already Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online customers and are anxiously awaiting the chance to upgrade to the latest and greatest version. We’ve put a lot of effort into making sure your upgrade experience is the best it can be; whether you’ve upgrading from the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Beta or the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online April 2010 Service Update. We want to make sure your experience is as smooth as possible. Let’s take a few minutes to talk about this process and to share a few resources that will help you prepare for your upgrade to the latest version.

There are two sections to this post: the first is for existing customers using the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online April 2010 Service Update and the second is about upgrading from the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Beta. Each will include a process overview, some things to be aware of and where to go for more information.

Existing customers—Upgrading from Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online April 2010 Service Update

If you’re an existing customer, Microsoft has prescheduled an upgrade for your organization. Your CRM Administrators received an email of when the upgrade will take place. If the date Microsoft chose for you doesn’t fit your schedule, your CRM Administrators can change the dates by following the directions in the email they receive or by navigating to the Subscription Management Page in the CRM UI.

To give you an idea of what it looks like to change your upgrade date, I’ve created a video walk through. Let me add a caveat, however, the demo is in a test environment and dates, email address and organization names are all fabricated; the flow is will be the same, but the details will differ. Now, on to the fun!

We expect most upgrades to the new version to go very smoothly, but there is the possibility that unforeseen circumstances could prevent us from performing your upgrade during your primary upgrade window. In the event that your upgrade doesn’t happen during the primary timeslot, we have also assigned you a secondary timeslot. You can change your primary and secondary upgrade windows using the directions in the email or the video in to this post.

What considerations should I take regarding my upgrade?

If you’re using Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Microsoft Office Outlook we recommend that you upgrade to the latest version to take advantage of all of the new functionality introduced. Other considerations include unsupported custom JavaScript or other unsupported customizations that you have made to your organization. For more technical details about upgrading Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Microsoft Office Outlook, or for more in-depth questions about unsupported customizations, custom JavaScript and customization upgrades see this technical upgrade resource.

Beta Customers—Upgrading from the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Beta

If you are still using the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Beta, your time is running out! The beta program formally ends this month and if you would like to convert your beta subscription you must do so as soon as possible! Your CRM administrators have received email notifications containing information on the beta end dates and steps to convert. If you are an administrator, or curious as to how the upgrade process works, check out the Beta Conversion site for Customers and for Partners.

I would like to point out that the upgrade from Beta is different from the upgrade from Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online April 2010 Service Update. The Beta upgrade is minor version upgrade and so the upgrade is done behind the scenes within two to four weeks after you opt-in; we don’t have any self-scheduling for beta upgrades. We will post maintenance notifications in advance of your upgrade so you know when it is coming.

A caveat for beta upgraders: Once your Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online organization is upgraded, anyone using Microsoft Dynamics CRM Beta for Microsoft Office Outlook will need to upgrade to the latest version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Microsoft Office Outlook before they will be able to access the organization through Outlook.

Final Thoughts…

I hope this information was helpful to you and that your upgrade to latest version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online goes off without a hitch! If you have questions about upgrade, please see the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Upgrade Center, or if you’re using the beta see the Beta Conversion Site for Customers and for Partners. If you still have questions, don’t hesitate to contact support for assistance.

Cheers,

Marshall Bjerke