Microsoft Ready For On-Demand CRM Price War

from the live-it-up dept

Tue, Jul 10th 2007 10:22am — Joseph Weisenthal

Much to the chagrin of its rivals, Microsoft has never been hesitant to compete aggressively on price. In fact, its willingness to be brutal on pricing has drawn some of the loudest antitrust accusations over the years. Microsoft looks set to go down this road again, as it has announced prices for its new on-demand CRM Live service that are well below the equivalent at Salesforce.com. Even with the cut-rate prices, it's going to be a challenge for Microsoft to make it big in this market. Salesforce.com has proven popular among small and medium-sized businesses and it's already started developing an ecosystem around its services through its AppExchange program. Microsoft's trump card may not be its prices, but its extensive network of partners that will be pushing CRM Live. While many partners had expressed the fear that an on-demand service would cut them out of the equation, Microsoft promises to reward them generously for any customers they help pull in, by offering them a slice of annual subscription revenues.

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Filed Under: crm, on-demand
Companies: microsoft

43 Comments

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Buzz, 10 Jul 2007 @ 10:43am

...
What is Microsoft's obsession with the world LIVE???
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Matt Bennett, 10 Jul 2007 @ 10:51am

I'm a SF user. It's great in a lot of ways, but you're always running up against weird little functionalities that it lacks, like the ability to merge more than 3 different leads, or to find duplicate accounts. (duplicate leads, sure, but why is finding dup accounts so hard?) So if MS managed to solve little functionality issues like that, sure I can see why many people might run to them.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 11:13am

Which CRM
Joe,
If you're going to pepper your articles with abbreviations and acronyms then you should at least define them once in your article. TheFreeDictionary lists over 70 meanings for the term CRM, several of which could apply to different things that Microsoft could be involved with. Your readers shouldn't need a magic decoder ring just to read your articles. In other words, yrsnamdrjtrya.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 11:24am

Customer Relationship Management
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 11:28am

Re: Which CRM
By CRM, I think it's a safe assumption they mean Microsoft Dynamics, CRM. Being the only CRM product that Microsoft actually offers, and the fact that Microsoft calls their CRM product "Microsoft CRM Live" and Microsoft Dynamics, CRM"

No different than if they had written something about any other business solution (MRP, ERP, EPM, etc...)
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able-x, 10 Jul 2007 @ 11:49am

CRM?
Can someone please answer what CRM actually is though? Ok, I get it that it's "Microsoft CRM Live", but that still didn't answer the question...
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 11:56am

Re: CRM?
Contact (or Customer) Relationship Manager. Think contact book on steriods.
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wonderball, 10 Jul 2007 @ 12:05pm

CRM~~~
I still had to look it up.

"Microsoft DynamicsTM CRM 3.0 Professional, formerly known as Microsoft® Business Solutions CRM, is a complete customer relationship management solution that provides all of the tools and capabilities needed to create and easily maintain a clear picture of customers from first contact through purchase and post-sales."
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 12:21pm

Re: Which CRM
"Joe,
If you're going to pepper your articles with abbreviations and acronyms then you should at least define them once in your article. TheFreeDictionary lists over 70 meanings for the term CRM, several of which could apply to different things that Microsoft could be involved with. Your readers shouldn't need a magic decoder ring just to read your articles. In other words, yrsnamdrjtrya."

In other words, Joe, don't assume any of your readers, like this AC, have an IQ above 50 or so. I mean, it's only a tech and business site. Expecting people to have familiarity with some basics, like CRM software, really is asking too much.

For the idiot AC, the above paragraph is sarcasm -- since you probably don't understand it, either.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 12:25pm

Re: CRM~~~
How could you possibly have to look that up? CRM isn't new technology, there are dozens (hundreds? thousands?) of products on the market, like SugarCRM, Saleforce, and of course the above mention Microsoft CRM.

Short of living in a hole, I don't think there's anyone even remotely affiliated with a corporate environment could not know what that is.
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TheDock22, 10 Jul 2007 @ 12:55pm

Re: Re: CRM~~~
I'm a little surprised too how many people did not know what a CRM is. I thought most people that posted on this forum were part of companies, I guess not. One world of advice if you don't know what a CRM is: don't post! It makes you look like a complete moron, more than you probably are.

Anyway, I haven't heard much about Microsoft's CRM software. I have a feeling Salesforce will be the leader for hosted services though and SugarCRM will still be a hit with the open source community. I would love to see the prices drop, our solution is starting to get more expensive every year (Salesforce).
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 1:12pm

Re: Re: Re: CRM~~~
You're correct, Microsoft CRM (vr 3.0) has come a long way, but with people like Salesforce dominating the market it's hard to see how MS CRM will survive.

There's a lot of potential there, but MS CRM lacks tight integration into other Microsoft business apps like Solomon, Navision, Sharepoint, Business Portal, etc...

Beyond Outlook (exchange) MS CRM looks and feels like it was developed entirely outside of the Microsoft team.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 1:27pm

Re: Re: Which CRM
It would be an idiot that would assume that CRM has only one possible meaning related to "tech and business". Here are just a few: Computing Resource Management, Cause Related Marketing, Customer Records Management, Communications and Records Management, Computer Reproducible Master, Contact Relationship Management, Content Resource Management, Continuous Risk Management, Contract Requirements Matrix, Corporate Release Management, Credit Risk Management, Customer Relational Marketing, Certified Records Management, and Customer Relation Management. And there are more, all related to technology and business.

What a maroon.
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Poomer, 10 Jul 2007 @ 1:29pm

Re: Re: Re: CRM~~~
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 1:37pm

Re: CRM~~~
I still had to look it up.
The problem is that some people are so small minded and limited in their experience that they are unaware of the potentially large number of things that CRM could mean. They just "assume" that what it means in their own little world is what it means everyone else's as well. Thus they conclude that there is simply no need to clarify it.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 1:38pm

Re: Re: Re: Which CRM
right, all of which you had to look up in your precious dictionary. Of course, if you actually paid some attention to the context of the story, you'd know the CRM to which the author was referring.

Why are you trying to use a color as an insult? I don't understand.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 1:40pm

Re: Re: CRM~~~
"They just "assume" that what it means in their own little world is what it means everyone else's as well."

uh, this isn't a little world we're talking about here. The mention of Salesforce.com should have made that pretty clear. To anybody who's not an idiot.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 1:43pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Which CRM
Why are you trying to use a color as an insult? I don't understand.
Then what would make you think it's an insult?
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 1:46pm

Re: Re: Re: CRM~~~
oaiwttwras.c
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 1:53pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: CRM~~~
Even if the mention of salesforce didn't tip you to it, i dunno, maybe the mention of "MICROSOFT CRM LIVE" may have lead you to what it was?

For Microsoft CRM isn't just an abbreviation, it's the name of the CRM product, Microsoft CRM. (Dynamics CRM, Live CRM, pick your flavor)

I know, they haven't been this creative since way back with Microsoft Mail (pre Exchange mail solution) but c'mon folks. The name of the product is CRM. It's a CRM tool. Written by Microsoft, a company that focuses on business solutions, like... CRM.

Crawl out of your holes people.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 2:03pm

Okay, honestly, enough battering each other. It's not that big a deal. Some of us n00bs in the business world might have a real good grasp on technology and such, but still not have to deal with customers directly, or anything related to that, and therefore have never used CRM software. I admint, I didn't have to look it up, but it did take me a second before I realized what was being talked about. So yeah, a little description of CRM would've been useful in reading the article, just to save some time. But at the same time, I don't EVER expect an article to be 100% n00b oriented, so I'm always prepared to google something if need be.

Moral of the story, don't expect anyone else to do stuff for you, but be happy when they do, even if you don't need it.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 2:04pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Which CRM
Wasn't it you that started this whole mess about people defining their supposedly ambiguous terms?
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 2:11pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: CRM~~~
I know what that stands for: "I'm a giant dickhead"
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Charles Griswold, 10 Jul 2007 @ 3:34pm

Re: Re: Which CRM
In other words, Joe, don't assume any of your readers, like this AC, have an IQ above 50 or so. I mean, it's only a tech and business site. Expecting people to have familiarity with some basics, like CRM software, really is asking too much.
Assuming that people who don't know what a particular acronym means are complete idiots is, well, not a very smart thing to do. I'm reasonably intelligent, and I didn't know what CRM is (at least in this contest) until I read the comments that explained it. Honestly, how many people actually use CRM on a daily basis?
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Charles Griswold, 10 Jul 2007 @ 3:40pm

Re: Re: Re: CRM~~~
I'm a little surprised too how many people did not know what a CRM is. I thought most people that posted on this forum were part of companies, I guess not.
By "part of companies" I assume you mean people who deal with matters technical as a major part of their employment. Personally, I assumed that most of the readers of the TechDirt blog are just people who are interested in technology and the legal and social issues that surround technology.
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Charles Griswold, 10 Jul 2007 @ 3:44pm

Re: Re: Re: CRM~~~
The mention of Salesforce.com should have made that pretty clear. To anybody who's not an idiot.
So, you automatically assume that anyone who has never used Salesforce.com because they have no reason to do so, and thus are largely unaware of what it is that said website actually does is an idiot? I submit that you, sir, my possibly be guilty of what you are accusing others of.
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dead or alive, 10 Jul 2007 @ 3:48pm

CRLF
What does LIVE stand for?
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 4:04pm

Re: Re: Re: Which CRM
Assuming that people who don't know what a particular acronym means are complete idiots is, well, not a very smart thing to do. I'm reasonably intelligent, and I didn't know what CRM is (at least in this contest) until I read the comments that explained it. Honestly, how many people actually use CRM on a daily basis?

"I'm reasonably intelligent"

"I didn't know what CRM is"

"(at least in this contest)"

you didn't know the acronym, and you appear to be an idiot, despite claiming otherwise.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 4:17pm

Re: Re: Re: Which CRM
"Honestly, how many people actually use CRM on a daily basis?"

It's amazing you can navigate to this site all by yourself. I mean, yeah, just because you're an idiot, that means nobody uses CRM. Just enough nobodies to make it a $10 billion or so industry in 2006.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 4:50pm

Re: CRM?
From http://acronyms.tfd.com/CRM:

CRM Customer Relationship Management
CRM Camera Ready Material
CRM Camera Ready Mechanical
CRM Canalith Repositioning Maneuver
CRM Cardiac Rhythm Management (pacemakers, defibrillators, cardiostimulators)
CRM Cause Related Marketing
CRM Cell Rate Margin (ATM)
CRM Center for Regenerative Medicine
CRM Center for Relationship Marketing
CRM Centre de Recherches Mathématiques (Canada)
CRM Certificate Request Message
CRM Certified Records Manager
CRM Certified Reference Material
CRM Certified Risk Manager
CRM Change-Request Management
CRM Chemical Release Module
CRM Chemical Remanent Magnetization
CRM Chief Radio Man
CRM Chrome
CRM Chromosome Region Maintenance
CRM Circuit Reservation Message
CRM Cisco Resource Manager
CRM Cisco Router Module
CRM Citizens' Rights Movement (Israeli party)
CRM Client Relationship Management
CRM Client Request Manager
CRM Clinical Research Management
CRM Clinical Risk Management
CRM Closed Response Message (ITU-T)
CRM Club Ricky Martin
CRM Coastal Resource Management
CRM Cockpit Resource Management
CRM Collateral Release Mechanism
CRM Collection Requirements Management
CRM Colorado Railroad Museum
CRM Column Radiation Model
CRM Combat Readiness Medal
CRM Comment Resolution Meeting
CRM Commodity Risk Management
CRM Communication Resource Manager
CRM Communications and Records Management
CRM Compliance Research and Measurement
CRM Computer Reproducible Master
CRM Computer Resource Manager
CRM Computer Resources Management
CRM Conflict Resolution Model
CRM Conseil de Recherches Médicales du Canada (Medical Research Council of Canada)
CRM Conselho Regional de Medicina (Brazil Regional Council of Medicine)
CRM Contact Relationship Management
CRM Content Resource Management
CRM Continuous Risk Management
CRM Contract Requirements Matrix
CRM Coordinadora Revolucionaria de Masas
CRM Corporate Release Management
CRM Count Rate Meter
CRM Courtesy Reply Mail
CRM Credit and Risk Management
CRM Credit Risk Mitigation
CRM Creighton Method (birth control)
CRM Crew Research Management
CRM Crew Resource Management
CRM Crisis Management
CRM Crisis Resource Manager
CRM Crisis Response Management
CRM Crumb Rubber Modifier (asphalt/paving)
CRM Cultural Resource Management (National Park Service)
CRM Cultural Resource Manager
CRM Cultural Resources Management
CRM Customer Relational Marketing
CRM Customer Relations Management
CRM Customer Relationship Marketing
CRM Customer Resource Management

Pick one.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 5:00pm

To Quote Nelson Muntz ...
"CRM it ma'am."
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 5:03pm

Re: CRLF
What does LIVE stand for?
That's the search engine previously known as MSN from Microsoft according to Wikipedia.

Or from http://acronyms.tfd.com/Live it could be:

LIVE Laurel Instant Versioning (Laurel)
LIVE Linux Verband
LIVE Living in Victory Everyday
LIVE Loyola Institute of Vocational Education
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 5:36pm

Re: Re: CRM?
How about this one: FU.

The fact that you'll put so much effort into being a jackass, but whine like hell when you're too stupid to understand something and subsequently forced to -- gasp -- figure it out on your own really speaks volumes.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2007 @ 9:50pm

Re: Re: Re: CRM?
How about this one: FU.
Dude, you sound really angry. You must be angry dude.
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locoHost, 11 Jul 2007 @ 6:37am

Too many children
That's the biggest issue I have with Techdirt: Too many bored children on summer vacation posting irrelevant and useless comments. 34 comments above and only a couple actually add to the article.

Sad.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Jul 2007 @ 9:23am

Re: Too many children
34 comments above and only a couple actually add to the article.
Pot, meet kettle.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Jul 2007 @ 12:28pm

Re: Re: Too many children
The comments on this site are absolutely worthless. They used to be pretty decent, dorpus notwithstanding, but now they're flooded with half-wits that don't bother to read, let alone understand, posts before ranting, attacking the author, attacking other commenters or typing up some other form of BS. The comments here used to be a pretty reliable discussion of intelligent and interesting viewpoints (with, of course, the occasional troll). Now it's just a shitshow.

What's even worse is that the content of the site seems like it's catering to the moron commenters these days.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Jul 2007 @ 1:13pm

Re: Re: Re: Too many children
Kettle, meet pot.
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wonderball, 14 Jul 2007 @ 7:37am

CRM
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wonderball, 14 Jul 2007 @ 8:10am

CRM
Anonymous Coward, no, i don't live in a hole, but i'm sure your experience is far superior to mine, sorry i tried to answer the question for able-x. You had answered 3 times and able still did not know what it was.
Sorry TheDock22, didn't know i had to qualify to read here.
Looks like "all animals were created equal, but tech dirt pigs are more equal than others"
Your correct mr locohost, too many bored children on summer vacation at tech dirt, i guess piglets aren't equal either.

Thank you mr griswald, your a gentleman of the first degree.

I thought tech dirt might be a place where any person might read, exchange ideas, and expand knowledge, learn new things or even learn old things, but i should have known better.
I learned how to be a self rightious prick and SOB in southeast asia in the late 60's, so my learning oppertunities at this site will be limited, as thats all i can see.
thanks for everything.
OINK~~~~~~~
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Jul 2007 @ 3:57am

And after all of this, the author of the article, Joe Weisenthal, never offered any clarification. I suppose that to do so might have been some sort of tacit admission to a shortcoming in his original work. Can't have that!
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invokker (profile), 6 Apr 2021 @ 10:40pm

CRM system for every business
I like what you guys are up too. Such intelligent work and reporting! Learn more about these tools. If it's hard for you to find CRM comparison sites, then maybe I can help or just visit once at - https://technologycounter.com/crm-software
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PrincePatel (profile), 4 Feb 2022 @ 4:00am

CRM Software Recommendations
I found a website for technology recommendation where you will get recommendations for the business software and services. One can review that website at Techimply
https://www.techimply.com/software/crm-software
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