What CRM vendors offer the most seamless Microsoft Outlook integration/plugins?

There are many packages with various options for Outlook integration. Can you describe what you want the Outlook plugin to do?

It seems odd to me that your company would rule out Dnyanmic CRM given the tight way it integrates with numerous MS products including SharePoint, Office, and Outlook and the Exchange server. I used to be a MS CRM (versions 1-3) hater but have come to really like the features in the new Dynamic CRM. For small companies it is priced very competitively in the SAAS based model.

Of all the other CRM systems on the market I don't know any of them that really integrate easily (and stay integrated) with Outlook.

As alluded to in some of the other answers - "What does Outlook integration mean to you?"

Are we talking primarily about automated/easy sending and logging of emails so as to facilitate sharing of correspondence?

Notching it up - does it include the sharing of scheduling information between the CRM system and Outlook?

Should contact records also be part of the equation?

Now that we know what data we want - what is the business case we are trying to solve?
Are we syncing Outlook with Smartphones for the sales team, so we need to get the data to Outlook so it will move to the phones?
Or, are we looking to share the data with users who will not have access to the CRM system for logistical, budgetary or techincal reasons?

Should the sync be a push from the CRM to Outlook or is two way sync desired?

Should the sync of data happen at the client or on the server side?

Do users need to be able to affect what will be synced or should it be entirely handled administratively?

You've ruled out Dynamics CRM - but if you truly want the best Outlook integration, Dynamics CRM is head and shoulders ahead of the rest. What's more, Microsoft is about to release the next version, which takes the Outlook integration MUCH further.

Most people rule out Dynamics for one of the following reasons:
(1) Cost: If this is the case, then you're also eliminating the other leading tools that have Outlook integration. If you're looking for cheap + Outlook integration, consider Business Contact Manager (BCM) included free with some versions of office.
(2) Bad Past Experience with Dynamics CRM: Until version 3.0, Dynamics CRM had some significant issues. In addition, many "partners" claim CRM expertise, but do not properly understand how to install it in a complex IT architecture - resulting in poor performance.
(3) Microsoft haters: If this is the case, then you should also look at getting away from other Microsoft products, such as Outlook.

My advice - if Outlook integration is the #1 factor in selecting a CRM system, then you should reconsider Dynamics CRM.

If I've still not convinced you, then I can say that virtually every good CRM product out there has "decent" Outlook integration these days (because everyone demands it). From personal experience, I can tell you that Salesforce.com has very strong Outlook integration and my understanding is that they will soon be releasing an update to their Outlook integration that will further enhance it.

Salesforce.com is not as good on the Outlook integration front as Microsoft. But they do offer some outstanding functionality in other areas that exceeds what is currently available in Dynamics CRM.

Hi,

SugarCRM has a good Outlook plugin that helps your team to seamlessly integrate.

If you want a more advanced integration - something like, it should automatically create opportunities, contacts and accounts - probably you should look at Riva Server Side Integrations that are available from http://www.rivacrmintegration.com/

SugarCRM with Riva can provide any type of CRM - Outlook integration that you are looking for.

I think Riva also provides this integration for other CRM and iHans provides similar integration for salesforce.

End of the Day, it is not a good idea to choose a CRM based on a single feature. CRM choice should be based on process, feature set and ease of use.

Ram Kumar LK
http://www.bhea.co.in

Hi,

The requirement "CRM system with very tight integration with Microsoft Outlook - keeping out Dynamics CRM" is very much similar to "making an omelet without using eggs", especially if you see the upcoming version of Dynamics.

The vast majority of CRM vendors do support Outlook synchronization but Dymanics CRM 2011 is WAY ahead, actually embedding CRM to Outlook and making it a natural extension to what users already do...It's a completely different and sophisticated approach.

In short, if Outlook integration is a prerequisite to the project (make or break), I would seriously reconsider Microsoft as #1 candidate, as well as the reasons that ruled Dynamics out.

Myron Flouris
www.datacomm.gr

While many CRM vendors claim that they have Outlook integration (built in-house or by third parties), in reality there are very few solutions which provide it in a way people actually need it. There are several really vital criteria for success of any OutlookCRM plugin:

- It is USABILITY tool, so it should be tightly integrated in Outlook and do not change users habits (like Dynamics does btw). Preferably, it should keep Outlook UI and store data in Outlook native storage.

- It should consider Outlook as a smaller subset of data and EXTEND it with CRM data. Many Outlook clients just take data from Outlook and push it to CRM, which is not resolving the problem. subset of CRM data should be accessible in Outlook and users should be able to work not only with Contacts, Calendar and Tasks, but also with Accounts, Opportunities, Leads, Call reports etc.

- it should be as CUSTOMIZABLE, as CRM itself. Very few CRM deployments are not customized, which means that users of these deployments would expect the same customized objects & fields accessible in Outlook. And users are right.

- it should work OFFLINE. Sales reps are often in field and if their Outlook is not connected to CRM at that moment - it is not an integration.

- It should WORK. So no Outlook crashes, no Outlook slow down, no deleted/lost data in either CRM or Outlook, nothing like that. I bet everyone who ever tried various Outlook integration would confirm it is a problem.

Considering all said above, I would recommend to take a look at InvisibleCRM, which is not a CRM vendor itself, but providing Outlook/Lotus integration for other CRMs. In partnership with CRM vendors there are several Outlook integrations already built and available:
- CRM Desktop for Siebel CRM (released by Oracle)
- CRM Desktop for Oracle OnDemand (announced by Oracle)
- CRM Desktop for Fusion (announced by Oracle)
- Deltek Vision Connect for Microsoft Outlook (released by Deltek)
- NetSuite for Outlook (released by NetSuite)
- SalesDesktop for salesforce.com (released by InvisibleCRM)

Here is the demo which covers principles of such Outlook integration pretty well: http://www.invisiblecrm.com/presentation/SD3-Demo/SalesDesktopV3-Demo.html
the demo itself is client for Salesforce.com, but it is pretty much equal for all CRMs.

Other solutions on the market which worth attention are:

- SalesForce.com Outlook Edition
- Outlook plugin for Microsoft Dynamics CRM
- Duet for SAP.

others are just wasting of time and resources (IMHO).