CRM Microsoft vs. Salesforce: Which is better?

As a Microsoft Dynamics CRM Consultant I can mention some advantages of Microsoft Dynamics CRM over SalesForce:

- Deployment choice. Microsoft Dynamics CRM offers hosted, on premise or hybrid deployment options.
- No learning curve. Use tools you already know how to use.You can access CRM from Outlook, Web browsers, SharePoint portals, and any mobile device. In addition benefit from Microsoft Excel integration and Microsoft Word integration.
- The Power of the .Net Platform. Leverage existing .NET Applications to be more efficient. For example, existing applications such as SharePoint, Bing Maps or OCS are already written with the .NET platform and you can embed them into your CRM environment. As well, there’s more than 3 million .Net developers worldwide offering broad support.

SalesForce offers a good system, but what I consider a great disadvantage with SalesForce is that they only allow for the SaaS deployment model, so hosting locally is not an option.

However choosing a CRM solution depends on your business needs. But for any solution to work, a company needs to have clearly defined business objectives because even the top selling CRM solution cannot guarantee success. Do not rush into any CRM solution. Doing so is strained with danger and will most likely be a painful, costly, and miserable experience. Most companies only get one shot at making CRM work for them. Take your time, ask the right questions, mitigate your risk, and find a CRM provider that you trust.

If you want more information visit our site where we discuss thoroughly all the features of Microsoft Dynamics CRM. http://www.streamsol.com/

Which solution is best depends on your needs. Both offer excellent systems, but you need to know what your long term goals are.

Here are a few highlights from both:

Salesforce:

* Very large established customer base
* No on-premise CRM capability (on-demand only).
* No vertical functionality and few vertical add-ons available for customers.
* Limited integration capabilities with existing productivity software and line-of-business (LOB) applications.
* The pricing is about twice that of Microsoft Dynamics CRM's Online edition.
* According to Nucleus Research, "38% of Salesforce.com customers are planning to or would consider moving to another solution."

Microsoft CRM:

* Choice of Deployment Model. Microsoft Dynamics CRM offers a hosted, on-premise, or hybrid deployment models. Not locking in their customers gives Microsoft a unique advantage here.
* Native Outlook Interface. Makes training easier.
* Choice of Client. Native Outlook, Web browser, mobile, or online/offline.
* Ease of Configuration and Customization. Microsoft Dynamics CRM has been designed to allow customers and solutions partners to easily customize data types, workflows, role-based views, and more, through solution capabilities and standard Web services.
* Vertical Solutions and ISV Support. Microsoft Dynamics CRM is supported by a global network of resellers, integrators, and ISV partners worldwide. These solutions partners have deep experience building the custom and vertical solutions demanded by many customers.
* Low TCO. Customers and solutions partners can take advantage of existing IT investments and in-house expertise to help minimize the total cost of ownership because Microsoft Dynamics CRM is built on the scalable and secure .NET platform and utilizes standard Microsoft tools and technology such as Microsoft SQL Server and Visual Studio.
* Space: 20 gigs of storage that Microsoft offers for free

Source: http://www.milesconsultingcorp.com/Microsoft-CRM-Advantages-Salesforce.aspx

It depends on your business needs and the size of your business. Development and customization can be costly. Hosted solution has the advantage that no software or hardware upfront cost is needed. For example, you don't need to host your own mail server which can be expensive to maintain.

Check out at http://www.borneosoft.com. It has contact, calendar and sales management. It also has other productivity tools, leave application and blog tools.

This month we've done free webinars that compare both products. We show both products side by side. Our conclusion is that both are excellent products. But the better bang for the buck is Microsoft CRM 2011 online. One year ago we wouldn't have said this. But MS has finally caught up. And their price point now matches too. To view the comparison webinars go to www.accentgold.com/CRMwebinar

I agree to Scott. Most of cases users will fall in a trap by selecting there application system based on the name value.
Sometimes it works, but very rare. Especially for a application like CRM, you will need to analyze why you need a CRM in your organization. Each product will have strength that may fit directly what you want, but first you should design how you have your organization be able to gather information in your business process.

CRM is not only analyzing on the Marketing side, the important part will be how you can design business process to store data you need for business analysis.

Great post

Price is the main deciding factor at the moment, we are finding customers are picking microsoft crm for its pricing and microsoft outlook look and feel .Which helps to reduce training costs.

You might find this comparison useful, the document compares Microsoft CRM vs Salesforce

http://www.epartnersolutions.co.uk/products/microsoft-dynamics-crm-vs-salesfo...