What's new in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 includes several new features that offer flexibility, scalability, and ease of use.
 

New application features:
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 includes several new application features:

Advanced user personalization

. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 lets you configure a workspace that is personalized to meet your unique role and information needs. Personalizing a workspace means that you can set the default pane and tab that display when you open Microsoft Dynamics CRM. You also have control over what links appear in the workplace view, how many records appear in lists, how numbers and dates display, and the language for your user interface. Combine this personalization with the new dashboard feature to create a personalized dashboard for your default view.

Improved Microsoft Office interface

. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 introduces a new Office 2010 contextual ribbon for the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and Microsoft Dynamics CRM browser clients and for Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Microsoft Office Outlook. The new ribbon delivers a consistent, familiar navigation and user experience that helps you better integrate Microsoft Dynamics CRM with your Office 2010 environment.

Better Office Outlook experience

. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 improves the integration of Microsoft Dynamics CRM into Microsoft Office Outlook with the Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Microsoft Office Outlook. It takes full advantage of native Outlook functionality, such as previews and conditional formatting, and presents Microsoft Dynamics CRM areas as sub-folders in Outlook mail folders. With a few exceptions, these Microsoft Dynamics CRM areas in Outlook include all of the same functionality as the browser clients.

Dashboards

. Dashboards are a powerful feature in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. Use a dashboard to see at a glance all the important information you need to make key business decisions every day. Assemble and present information from several places in Microsoft Dynamics CRM in a quickly-read format. This means that you do not have to search multiple areas for the information you want. Dashboards are easy to create, and are easy to revise as your changing business needs require.

Goal management

. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 gives you the ability to define key performance and business health indicators. This way you can track and measure results against your organization's goals or metrics. Easily and quickly define goals for a campaign or fiscal period. Combine smaller goals, such as for specific teams or territories, into the overall goals for your organization. Create a rollup of all the goals into the actuals that show how you are tracking.

Interactive process dialogs

. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 expands its workflow capability by adding interactive dialogs. Dialogs present a consistent message to your customers. Also, dialogs collect and process information by using step-by-step scripts to direct users through every process. At one level, you can use dialogs to guide customer interactions and internal processes. At another level, you can increase dialog performance and versatility by incorporating workflow logic. This logic invokes automated tasks by using the responses a customer or user makes during the dialog script.

Role-based forms and views

. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 displays forms and views based on user roles. This role-tailored design ensures that the business professionals in your organization have fast access to the relevant information they need. Role-based forms and views also prevent users from viewing data that they are not authorized to view.

Solution management

. Solutions in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 are a new way to save customizations and share them with other users. You can create a solution or import a solution created by a developer outside your organization. It is easy to share a solution with other users. A managed solution can be edited only by specific users. An unmanaged solution can be edited by any user with an appropriate user role. A solution can have version numbering, relationships with entities and other components, and security features based on user roles.

Cloud development

. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 is at the leading edge of cloud computing. Developers can take advantage of the Windows Azure platform to develop and deploy custom code for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online by using powerful tools, such as Microsoft Visual Studio. Using the Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0, developers can also incorporate Microsoft Silverlight, Windows Communication Foundation, and .NET Language Integrated Query (LINQ) into their cloud solutions. Cloud development for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 is a powerful tool for customizing your Microsoft Dynamics CRM solution for optimal performance and business results.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Marketplace

. Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace is your online solutions catalog. These solutions help you accelerate and extend your Microsoft Dynamics CRM implementation.

Quickly discover and apply industry-specific applications and extensions from Microsoft and its partners. Then, Marketplace distributes your solution directly to you.

Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace is fully integrated with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. Find your solution directly from Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Claims-based authentication support

Using federation identity technology such as Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) 2.0, Microsoft Dynamics CRM supports claims-based authentication. This technology helps simplify access to applications and other systems by using an open and interoperable claims-based model that provides simplified user access and single sign-on to applications on-premises, cloud-based, and even across organizations. For more information about AD FS 2.0, see Active Directory Federation Services 2.0 (

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=200771).

Add or remove a server role

You can now install individual server roles by using the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server Setup Wizard. Similarly, you can add a server role, or change or remove installed server roles from Programs and Features in Control Panel.

Sandbox Processing Service

The Sandbox Processing Service server role enables an isolated environment to allow for the execution of custom code, such as plug-ins.

What's new in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 E-mail Router?

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 E-mail Router includes the following new features:

You can upgrade from the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 E-mail Router to the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 E-mail Router without uninstalling and losing your configuration data.


The E-mail Router and the Rule Deployment Wizard support Microsoft Exchange Server 2010. The E-mail Router also supports Exchange Online.


You can use Autodiscover to obtain the Exchange Web Services (EWS) URL. This capability is supported for Exchange Server 2007 SP1 and later versions.


You can use the E-mail Router with either Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online or Microsoft Dynamics CRM (On-Premises Edition). You can switch between these two options after installing the E-mail Router. For more information, see "Set e-mail access type" in the Installing Guide.


On supported operating systems, the E-mail Router can now use claims-based authentication when connecting to Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

What's new in Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 for Outlook includes the following new features:

single installer mechanism for both Online and On-Premises clients. Update support is now available through Microsoft Update.


Both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Microsoft Office are now supported.


Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook can now connect to multiple organizations.


Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook is simpler to use, requiring fewer clicks to perform tasks, for example when you track or reply to e-mail messages.


The Microsoft Dynamics CRM views create an experience that is more like working in Microsoft Office Outlook.


You can now import contacts more quickly from Microsoft Dynamics CRM, keep those contacts synchronized automatically, and administer synchronization filters centrally.


The new Microsoft Dynamics CRM tracking pane shows Microsoft Dynamics CRM associations and user options in-line. Additionally, users can now track and synchronize recurring appointments.


Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook now offers Microsoft Dynamics CRM e-mail templates and a rich Outlook e-mail editing surface.


Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook now offers the ability to control the scope of Microsoft Dynamics CRM e-mail messages, appointments, and tasks that are pushed to Outlook by using synchronization through personalized filters.