Special Edition Using® Microsoft® CRM

Market Timing

Many argue that Microsoft's market timing couldn't have been better. The dot-com bust has beaten down existing small and midmarket CRM players just after those vendors have expended significant resources educating prospective buyers on CRM. At the same time, the all-too-common stories of CRM failure and cost overruns have convinced businesses of the need for a low-cost solution backed by a vendor they know will be around for a while.

Another area where Microsoft's timing was right has to do with its philosophy toward partnership. The hundreds to thousands of small to mid-sized consulting and systems integration firms in the market are always looking for additional products and services to offer to their customers. In recent years, ...