Girish Raja's Dynamic(s) Thoughts

WPC 2010 Partner Awards

2010-03-08T07:25:42Z

Conference gala is certainly here. The Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC 2010) is coming to Washington, D.C. this year on July 11-15, 2010. If you are building some great solutions on Microsoft technologies, make sure you nominate your organization for the various partner awards and get the recognition you deserve. This year there are over 65 awards including the Software-plus-Services and Windows Azure Platform Partner of the Year Awards. Remember that nomination closes by April 2nd ,...(read more)

Get Ready for Convergence 2010

2010-03-02T03:08:10Z

Convergence 2010 , the premier Microsoft Dynamics conference is here shortly (April 24-27) and this year the event is organized a little differently, beginning on a weekend and with a virtual partner day. If you are thinking about attending Convergence, register now to take advantage of the $300 discount. This is valid until March 3rd, so why not register now and also remember that the better/closer hotels fill up fast. I will be there presenting a session on xRM & Cloud titled CSCRM22 Microsoft...(read more)

Industry Demo Virtual Machines for CRM 4.0

2010-02-15T02:27:15Z

The Dynamics Demo team has just released four virtual machines and corresponding demo script for CRM 4.0 to demo to the following industries. Public Sector : Municipal government and citizen interaction Financial Services :Wealth management Manufacturing :High-tech sales, order configuration Professional Services :Scenario: IT services You can download the VMs on PartnerSource at this link: https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/deployment/methodology/vpc/msd_crm4industryvpc.htm?printpage=false...(read more)

Silverlight & SharePoint coming at you fast

2010-01-30T22:28:00Z

If you are a CRM developer, there are quite a few beta technologies coming fast your way and you better be ready. First off, SharePoint 2010 and Office 2010 are really great products to watch out for and if you haven’t had the time to play with it yet, there is a Virtual Machine available for you to download and start right away. You can download the virtual machine here: 2010 Information Worker Demonstration Virtual Machine (Beta) . Also don’t forget to checkout the developer training kits by clicking...(read more)

Multi monitor support in Remote Desktop

2010-01-19T18:22:11Z

I just had one of those eureka moments and had to blog about it right away. For years that I thought remote desktop would just take up one monitor so I never used it for programming on a remote machine or anything like that. But I just realized that you could span your remote desktop session across multiple monitors! There is a neat little option in Remote Desktop (under Display tab) to enable the use of all monitors for remote session. Apparently the basic multi monitor remote desktop support has...(read more)

xRM ISV Case Study: CSSI

2010-01-08T08:53:25Z

The solution that CSSI built on xRM is a great evidence on how developers can rapidly innovate and at the same time minimize risk by building on a proven platform. CSSI specializes in creating software to help companies with an insurance business model streamline and automate core business processes. Capitalizing on the built-in components and native extensibility offered through the xRM platform, CSSI built its VUE IncentivePoint solution in four months— 70 percent faster than originally projected...(read more)

xRM ISV Case Study: Spenta

2010-01-07T06:39:58Z

The case study that I’ll be showcasing today is a unique one because Spenta Consulting not only built a nice solution for the much needed public sector industry but also released most of the IP as an open source project you can download at http://csp.codeplex.com/ . Their solution not just showcases the capabilities of xRM but also shows how you can integrate SharePoint with xRM for various portal needs. Below is an extract from their case study which I personally love and vouch for. Because of their...(read more)

xRM ISV Case Study: Peak 15 Systems

2010-01-06T07:02:24Z

Like climbers summiting a wind-swept mountain on little oxygen, tour operators often face harsh business conditions and work long hours. PEAK 15 Systems, named after the geographical survey name for Mount Everest, aims to guide tour operators to business success by reducing labor costs and increasing profitability. The PEAK 15 Tour Operator Software Suite helps operators assemble trips and drive more sales at the greatest possible efficiency. Software Builder Guides Tour Operators to Success with...(read more)

xRM ISV Case Study: Client Profiles

2010-01-05T04:57:19Z

This week I’ll be showcasing some of the Independent software Vendors (ISVs) that have built industry vertical applications using xRM. Today we’ll take a look at Client Profiles' legal practice management software. Powerful Application Framework Saves Legal Software Maker $2 Million Check out more about their solution on the case study page here: http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/ Case_Study_Detail.aspx?casestudyid=4000005413 You can also download this case study for printing & distribution...(read more)

Read and Recommended: Striving for Greatness in All You Do

2009-12-29T02:50:32Z

Recently I ran across an article about doing research and it affected so much that I wanted to share with you all. I would call this a required reading for any developer/engineer out there. The article is A Stroke of Genius: Striving for Greatness in All You Do written by R.W. Hamming. Yes, the same Hamming who invented the Hamming code . In the article Hamming spends a lots of time on choosing the right problem which is often overlooked by many (I’m no exception). This is especially true for developers...(read more)

xRM Acceleration Lab from 12/14/09 - 12/18/09 in Chicago

2009-12-07T00:37:35Z

<Cross-posting from Sanjay Jain’s blog entry > We are ready to host our 1 st xRM Acceleration Lab from 14 th Dec’09 to 18 th Dec’09 at Microsoft Technology Center, Chicago, IL . This is an exclusive event tailored for leading industry ISVs. We would cover Executive Briefing (EB), Architecture Design Sessions (ADS), and Proof of Concept (POC) with the help of your team, on-site Microsoft experts, and off-shore development team, plus you would have access to Microsoft Dynamics Executives, all...(read more)

PDC - Phone Company CRM & Azure Demo

2009-11-21T21:18:20Z

Here is the full video of the “Phone Company” demo that shows the integration of Dynamics CRM “5”, AppFabric Service Bus and Windows Azure....(read more)

3 xRM sessions at PDC09

2009-11-12T20:53:46Z

Just found out that Barry Givens and Nikhil Hasija are doing another xRM session at PDC09 . So that brings the total tally of xRM sessions to three! It might sound very low but this year PDC is only 3 days and almost the entire mornings on Day1 and Day2 will be spent in keynotes. Considering that, it’s a lot of sessions. BTW if you are not at PDC, don’t worry, you can still catch all the actions online. The keynotes will be streamed live and all breakout sessions will be available on-demand for free...(read more)

Dynamics CRM at PDC09

2009-11-01T22:26:36Z

On November 17 the Professional Developers Conference (PDC) kicks off in Los Angeles and xRM & Microsoft Dynamics CRM will be there to make sure you have a good show. For those who don’t know what PDC is, it is the definitive Microsoft conference that showcases and gives you roadmap of what’s coming out in the future from Microsoft. This year xRM/CRM will be highlighted in the keynote speeches as well in two break-out sessions. Andrew Bybee is presenting a session on Developing xRM Solutions...(read more)

Windows 7 RTM version available for MSDN subscribers

2009-08-06T03:31:55Z

Today the first public release of Windows 7 will be available to all MSDN Subscribers. I’m truly excited about Windows 7 as it a game changing platform in many aspects. Today, you will be able to download all Windows 7 Client (x86 and x64) Retail and VL Editions – English only on MSDN subscriber downloads. Along with this, you can also download language packs, WAIKs, WDKs, SDKs, and symbols in all available languages. To support the variety of languages and builds, 893 different images are being...(read more)

PDC 09 is on. And yes, xRM will be served!

2009-08-04T21:15:43Z

Get ready for the coolest developer event on the planet. Coming to Los Angeles again, PDC09 will be held from Nov 17th – 19th 2009. I had a blast at last PDC and I really look forward for this year’s event. One of the reasons I really look forward is because we’ll definitely be talking about xRM. Titles of a few talks this year are published on the site’s ‘Sessions’ area. Note that we’ve only published a sub-set of ‘Sessions’ and there is many more to come. So stay tuned. Developing xRM Solutions...(read more)

A simple definition of Windows Azure

2009-07-24T23:02:22Z

Here is an interesting video that’s informative as well. It’s Friday evening after all , so chill out and enjoy this really nice & simple video that Steve Marx created to explain “What is Windows Azure?” with simple terms and hand drawn sketches. Video: What is Windows Azure? Now that was a great, wasn’t it. Check out Steve Marx’s blog post that goes into much detail on how he created this video. Maybe it’s time for me to fire up my tablet pc again. I’ll soon tell you about an interesting way...(read more)

Check out the Dynamics CRM Twibe

2009-07-23T03:36:58Z

I was really surprised when my twitter account http://twitter.com/girishr had a large number of new followers over the weekend. Now I know why. After I caught up with my RSS feeds, I realized Menno did a great job of compiling the “influential” Microsoft Dynamics CRM people on twitter. You can see the list of people in the Dynamics CRM tribe twibe here http://www.tekoppele.com/Blog/post/2009/07/17/20-Microsoft-Dynamics-CRM-Twitter-Users-You-Should-Follow.aspx Menno, Thanks for the honor. You’re now...(read more)

Azure Pricing announced at WPC

2009-07-14T16:49:29Z

Today, at WPC, we announced the business and partner model for the Windows Azure platform. Here are few highlights from the announcement. Commercial availability at PDC 2009 in November. SQL Azure will be available as a cloud-based relational database platform built on SQL Server. Free until the release in November. Now is the time to go check out the free CTP . You can sign-up for the free CTP account for Windows Azure & .NET Services at http://www.microsoft.com/azure/register.mspx . SQL Azure...(read more)

Dynamics Duo: Wide World Importers Demo

2009-06-19T19:25:26Z

Ben and I took some time to chat about this really neat demo that shows how you can combine the Microsoft Web Platform with Dynamics CRM to quickly build and deploy self-service solutions. This is a 5-part “Dynamics Duo” video series and you can view the full set of videos below and also be sure read more about them on Ben’s blog . Dynamics Duo Rides Again Dynamics Duo: Everybody needs an Identity Dynamics Duo: Wide World Importers Code Dynamics Duo: Composition with Third-Party Web Services...(read more)

Dynamics Duo Rides again

2009-06-16T05:40:17Z

I’m sure many of you will remember the “conference” demo that we showed in the Business Action Virtual Tour and also from the demo that Ben did in Convergence keynote last year. Recently Ben and I had the opportunity to sit down in B20 and chat about the demo in much detailed fashion. We figured that we might as well turn on the camera so that you all can watch it as well and perhaps maybe learn a thing or two about CRM & Cloud platform from Microsoft! Cross-posting from Ben’s blog. Enjoy! Dynamics...(read more)

Make sure you have the new CRM 4.0 VPC

2009-06-11T05:02:54Z

The CRM VPC available on download.microsoft.com has been a wonderful resource for not just demos but development as well. I’m sure many developers are using it for building their prototypes and in some cases active product development. Note that the CRM VPC on MS downloads will expire tomorrow (June 11th 2009). Make sure you download the new CRM 4.0 VPC from the PartnerSource link below: Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Virtual PC Image (April 2009) We are also working on modifying the CRM Developer Rampup...(read more)

XRMUG Presentation on Using CRM 4.0 & Windows Azure

2009-05-27T17:48:17Z

Tomorrow Shan McArthur, Ben Riga and I are presenting a webcast for XRM virtual user group. It is a basic 100-level session with some interesting demos on using CRM 4.0 and Windows Azure in the context of self service portals. When: May 28, 2009 (Thu) 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM (PST) Self-Service Sites: Proactive and Effective More than ever applications built for the web connect customers (or partners, employees, or citizens) directly to systems running behind the firewall. Whether for informational or...(read more)

CRM Customizations compatibility across Update Rollups

2009-05-21T17:53:19Z

Today, I had a simple question. Are the customizations schema (the exported .xml file) compatible across different update CRM 4.0 update rollups? Meaning, if I export a set of customizations (.xml) from a server that has UR2 (Update Rollup 2) installed, can I import that on a server having UR4? And how about the other way around? Turns out that update rollup 2 and beyond are actually compatible with regards to customizations schema. Note that the only exception to this is UR1. This KB article has...(read more)

Business Action Virtual Tour On Demand

2009-05-06T20:32:32Z

Last week I had the opportunity to present four webcasts as part of the Business Action Virtual Tour (BAVT) wherein we discussed about building line of business applications using the CRM (XRM) platform and how you can extend it to create compelling experiences (using WPF & Silverlight), reuse familiar skills (using Office Platform) and how to provide the power of choice to your customers (using Azure platform). If you missed any of these events, don’t worry; we recorded all of them and have...(read more)