The Townsend Report

As we mark the countdown to the next version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, many questions arise around what will happen next.  When can I upgrade? Will the new version be available at the same time for online and on premise customers? What if I'm on Dynamics CRM Online?  Will I be forced to upgrade?  Can I schedule the upgrade? If I'm still on Dynamics CRM 4.0, should I upgrade to 2011 and then to 2013 or go straight to 2013?  Here is an excellent blog post on the subject from Intergen.  Microsoft has tried to make the upgrade as painless as possible while packing in as much new innovation as possible.   You cannot get the most out of the new version without considering how new features impact your users and by providing training to help people discover new features and take advantage of them.

With the retirement of Steve Ballmer and the acquisition of Nokia, Microsoft has shown just how serious it is about the vision of becoming a devices and services company.  The question is how Microsoft can close the gap with Google and Apple to become a contender in the mobile and tablet market. One way would be to give Microsoft device users free legal access to entertainment content.  Imagine if Microsoft purchased Netflix and gave its device subscribers access to the Netflix content library.  Based on my informal survey at the lunch table, this would be enough to get many people to give up their iPhones and Androids and give Windows Phone a chance.