The Ultimate CRM for Outlook Guide – Introduction

Welcome to the first post from the “Ultimate CRM for Outlook Guide” series. In this post, we explain what the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 for Microsoft Office plugin is and discuss the benefits of using the plugin with Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online or Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013.

What is Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 for Microsoft Office Outlook?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 for Microsoft Office Outlook (CRM for Outlook) is a plugin that allows CRM 2013 and CRM Online users to access records in their CRM database directly from Outlook. The plugin is a free software component that adds functionality to Microsoft Office Outlook, and it must be installed locally on each computer.

The CRM for Outlook plugin is a true differentiator for Microsoft Dynamics CRM. While many other CRM applications provide some level of email tracking through Outlook, the CRM for Outlook plugin provides a high level of integration between your CRM Online or CRM 2013 database and Outlook. If you currently use Outlook for email, calendar, and contact management, and are looking for a CRM solution, Microsoft Dynamics CRM should be on your shortlist of potential CRM systems.

Key Benefits of the CRM for Outlook Plugin

The CRM for Outlook plugin provides a number of benefits for Microsoft Dynamics CRM users:

1. It allows users to access CRM records directly in Outlook without having to open up their web browsers and log into the CRM organization.
2. It makes it very easy to track incoming and outgoing emails from your Outlook inbox.
3. It allows users to create new CRM records, including Tasks, Faxes, Appointments, Service Activities, and Campaign Responses directly from the CRM tab in Outlook.
4. It allows users to track Outlook appointments in CRM.
5. It provides a shortcut for converting emails into Opportunity, Case, or Lead records.
6. It can improve user adoption because the plugin allows users to a familiar user interface for Outlook users.
7. It can provide offline access to records in the CRM database.
8. It provides the ability to refresh data in Microsoft Office Excel directly from CRM.

Cost of the CRM for Outlook Plugin

The CRM for Outlook Plugin is free for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online subscribers and CRM 2013 license holders.

Compatibility

The CRM for Outlook plugin is compatible with Outlook 2007, Outlook 2010, and Outlook 2013 on computers running Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1.

It is not compatible with Microsoft Office Outlook for Mac OS X.

Downloading the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 for Microsoft Outlook Plugin

The CRM for Outlook plugin is available to download from the Microsoft Download Center. Click the following link to

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40344

The “Ultimate CRM for Outlook Guide” series

Part I – Introduction to the Ultimate CRM for Outlook Guide
Part II – Installing the CRM for Outlook Plugin
Part III – Configuring the CRM for Outlook Plugin
Part IV – Using the CRM for Outlook Plugin
Part V – Alternatives for Apple Macintosh OS X users