Myth 1: Microsoft
Dynamics MICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRM is slow.
Microsoft has committed a great deal into its server farms
and into the technology supporting the environments. Users will find an immediate
response time with MICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRM whether in their browser, mobile app,
or outlook. Speed is only subject to the user's local internet bandwidth and
computer specifications.
Myth 2: A company
cannot have separate environments with MICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRM.
MICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRM can be deployed online just as it is
on-premise. For instance, organizations can have development, staging/testing,
and production environments.
Microsoft includes additional environments at different
tiers based on the number of user licenses. The first tier starts at 25 users
in which a development environment is included at no additional cost. There are
capabilities to copy configurations from one environment to another enabling
classical developmental methodologies.
Myth 3: Data is not
secure with MICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRM.
Microsoft Dynamics MICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRM Online adjusts to
the most in-depth of access control standards and regulations by allowing for
claims-based and Active Directory (via federation) authentication.
Microsoft has an internal, but very comprehensive process of
data backup and replication. The data is backed up across multiple servers in
different geographical regions. In addition, it has fail-over capabilities so
that if the servers in one area cannot be reached, the others immediately take
over.
Only authorized users of your MICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRM
installation have access to data. The same applies to Microsoft. It cannot
access your data without your company assigning them a user ID.
While the data is secure, some companies, such as
governmentally supervised institutions, have internal processes which prohibit
exposure of company data to an external login.
Myth 4: MICROSOFT
DYNAMICS CRM does not allow the same third party plugin experience.
MICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRM On line’s environments are just as
rich as its production counterparts. It is essentially just another instance of
production, but one that is used by a limited audience.
Plug-ins can only run in the protected sandbox. The sandbox
restricts plug-ins from performing tasks such as (1) perform database, (2)
calling an external web service, and (3). Queries accessing the file system
MICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRM also integrates well with other
applications through online deployments. Windows Azure provides a platform that
assists with integration. One common way of integration uses SQL Server
Integrations Services (SSIS).
Click the link for more information on data management and
integration solutions:
Integrate MICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRM
Myth 5: MICROSOFT
DYNAMICS CRM doesn't have strong analytical capabilities.
MICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRM has the same analytical capabilities
for online and on-premise implementations. This includes Dashboards, Advanced
Finds (aka queries), and Reports. Data can also be exported to Microsoft Excel,
which allows for additional analysis.
A significant difference in MICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRM Online is
that users do not have "back-end" access to the SQL database. This
means that any programmatic access to the data must be done through an API by
way of a supported query building method such as Fetch-XML or Query Expression,
as opposed to SQL.
In my conversations with clients, existing users of Dynamics
AX and partners, I have come across a few myths (or statements, if you like)
that I think are worth discussing. In this post, I have picked on a few of them
and done my best to explain, what I believe to be the reality.
Myth #6: It is not
possible to customize Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations because it is a
cloud solution.
Reality: Albeit, Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations is
managed and operated in Microsoft Azure, it is, to all functions and purposes,
a private deployment with its own configuration and customizations.
Myth #7: Microsoft is
sealing the application, so the system can no longer be customized.
Reality: Far from it. With extensions, the evening model,
common data service and custom services, Dynamics is probably more open than at
any time in the past. Yes, you need to follow certain patterns and no you will
probably not be able to directly mess about with the code that calculates VAT,
but is that a bad thing? Customizations of a certain nature may also become
more expensive, but let’s be honest: some pretty shabby customizations have
been developed in the past because it could be done on the cheap (overlaying).
Myth #8: Running in
the cloud will be more expensive.
Reality: For some, maybe that is the case. But often we are
comparing apples to pears. The security and compliance measures surrounding
Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations are second-to-none and probably far
better than anything your current hosting partner can provide (with all due
respect). Moving the license from CAPEX to an OPEX subscription model will make
it more visible, especially for customers, who have given up their BREP, but I
doubt it will make it more expensive, but obviously each customer is different.
Myth #9: My data is
not safe.
Reality: I will not make to be an expert on the regulatory
issues relating to whether a company can let Microsoft store and process their
data in a certain geography, but for most customers this question is irrelevant.
I work mainly with European clients and when deploying Dynamics 365 for Finance
and Operations under Microsoft’s standard online services terms, the primary
and secondary data centers are both placed in Europe (Ireland and Holland to be
precise). You can read more on the subject here. You can also read more on how
Microsoft protects your data in the Azure Trust Centre.
Myth #10: It will be
hard to get my data out.
Reality: If you decide to terminate your subscription,
Microsoft standard terms guarantees that data is available for a 90-day period
(after the subscription is terminated) where you can download data to your own
data center or a new cloud partner.
There are probably a lot more myths, uncertainties and
questions out there, but these five I have come across a lot recently. Feel
free to comment, if you disagree with some of my conclusions. Only through
dialogue and fact-based information can we dispel myths and untruths.
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