Microsoft Plans CRM Back-Office Links

In addition, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, as first reported last month by CRN, this week intends to pledge Microsoft's backing for Siebel Systems' Universal Application Network (UAN) integration game plan. (See related story.)

While much of the buzz around Microsoft's CRM offering swirls around client-side perks, back-office integration is equally important, solution providers said.

Beta adapters for Microsoft Great Plains will come with the release candidate of Microsoft CRM Sales Professional edition next month, with adapters for Microsoft Solomon, Axapta and Navision enterprise resource management (ERM) applications to follow, said Holly Holt, senior product manager at Microsoft.

Microsoft CRM Sales Professional edition also will include Microsoft CRM Integration, based on BizTalk Server 2002 Partner Edition. That component will allow connectivity to Microsoft's own ERM offerings and to third-party applications.

"BizTalk Partner Edition supplies four integration ports,two internal and two external. We're using one of the internal ports, the other three can be used for Web services or another application," Holt said.

Some solution providers said Microsoft has done a good job selecting which pieces of CRM functionality to bring out first.

"When we implement Siebel and Onyx [CRM, people end up turning a lot of stuff off," said a solution provider who asked not to be named. "Microsoft designed a product that has what people want to start with. [Salesforce automation drives people. There's clear ROI, and it helps them be more efficient."

Siebel's UAN would nix the need for custom adapters, making basic interoperability between ERP/CRM supply chain management applications a given, with innovation coming atop that. Siebel won vocal support for UAN last year from IBM, Tibco and WebMethods. For Microsoft, UAN support would come in the form of a revised BizTalk Server, sources said.

"UAN is trying to change the game of packaged apps," said Giga Information Group analyst Erin Kinikin. "So far, vendors have raced to implement and integrate as many transactions as possible. . . . But once you've automated the key functions, there's no competitive advantage in transaction systems, and realtime [operation could just mean doing the wrong thing faster. Siebel argues that the value comes on top of the transaction in the processes and decisions a company makes."