1. Accelerators for Microsoft Dynamics CRM – Functional and Overview FAQs
In this document:
General Questions
Analytics Accelerator Questions
eService and Event Management Questions
Enterprise Search Accelerator Questions
Sales Methodology Accelerator Questions
General Questions
What are Accelerators for Microsoft® Dynamics® CRM?
Add-on modules that deliver extended capability to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0. The current release
includes the following Accelerators:
 Analytics
Extends business intelligence for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 delivering sales, service
and operations dashboards.
 eService
A configurable self-service portal for enhanced customer service through Microsoft
Dynamics CRM 4.0.
 Event Management
New functionality to plan, create, execute, and review events.
 Enterprise Search
Rapidly configure portal views of Microsoft Dynamics CRM data within Microsoft Office
SharePoint® Server (MOSS) and expose this data to MOSS enterprise search.
 Sales Methodologies
Practical guidance for adoption of third-party sales methodologies such as SPI Solution
Selling, Miller Heiman and Target Account Selling (TAS).
 Extended Sales Forecasting
An enhanced sales forecasting mechanism for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0.
 CRM Notifications
Newsfeeds (RSS) that allow users to subscribe to CRM “events” relevant to their job
role.
 Business Productivity
A collection of time-saving productivity customizations for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0.
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2. Accelerators for Microsoft Dynamics CRM – Functional and Overview FAQs
Why is Microsoft releasing these Accelerators?
Microsoft would like to demonstrate its continued commitment to advancing Microsoft Dynamics CRM
product’s capabilities, and delivering value to our customers and partners in between major releases.
The Accelerators aim to help customers and partners:
 Realize the benefits of CRM as a solution platform
 Deliver the killer demo or POC and shorten the sales cycle
 Demonstrate value more quickly with out-of-the-box functionality
 Reinforce Microsoft’s commitment to customer and partner success by delivering innovation
between major releases of Microsoft Dynamics CRM
What will be included with the Accelerators for Microsoft Dynamics CRM?
Each Accelerator will have a different set of deliverables based on the Accelerator itself. Each
Accelerator may consist of the following:
 Data – entities, forms, views
 Workflow – workflow configurations
 BI – Business Intelligence (e.g. custom reports)
 Source Code - full source code samples (strictly adhering to SDK guidelines)
 Documentation - installation, operation, localization, and additional solution documentation
What additional materials will be delivered with the Accelerators?
 Fact Sheets and Brochures
 Business Decision Maker (BDM) slide decks
 Technical Decision Maker(TDM) slide decks
 Videos covering:
o Demonstration scenarios
o Installation and configuration on the standard Virtual PC (VPC) image and solution
architecture overview
o Localization options
Where can I get the Accelerators for Microsoft Dynamics CRM?
The Accelerators and associated materials will be available on Microsoft CodePlex
(http://www.codeplex.com/crmaccelerators ).
A partner-accessible landing page has also been established at Microsoft Dynamics PartnerSource where
all links will be aggregated. See
https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/newsevents/news/MD_CRM_Accelerators.
Are the Accelerators available for any client to download?
Yes, the CodePlex site is a public facing site that allows anyone to access and download these items.
Will the Accelerators for Microsoft Dynamics CRM contain a VPC or a VPC Diff file?
Since VPCs are typically extended significantly by users around the world, a decision was made to
provide some detailed instructions as well as modular instructional videos explaining how to apply
Accelerators to the base level RTM VPC (found at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=dd939ed9-87a5-4c13-b212-
a922cc02b469&DisplayLang=en) or to any VPC that you are using. As a rule of thumb, the Accelerators
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3. Accelerators for Microsoft Dynamics CRM – Functional and Overview FAQs
take about 5 minutes each to install with the exception of the eService and Event Management
Accelerators which take about 20 minutes each to install.
In the future, Accelerators may be incorporated into VPCs and demos.
Will the Accelerators for Microsoft Dynamics CRM be provided at no additional charge?
Yes, the Accelerators, and related information, will be provided to Microsoft Dynamics CRM partners
and customers at no additional charge. However, review the licensing implications for each one (i.e. if
you implement the Portals then you will require an external connector license to expose it to the
Internet). Documentation will be provided with each Accelerator discussing specific licensing
requirements.
How is support provided for the Accelerators for Microsoft Dynamics CRM? Are the Accelerators
supported by Microsoft?
Although Accelerators for Microsoft Dynamics CRM are not considered part of the core Microsoft
Dynamics CRM product, the CRM development team was consulted during their creation. Extensive QA
was performed on the Accelerators and its components to ensure they meet the Software Developers
Kit (SDK) guidelines. Given the Accelerators’ adherence to the SDK guidelines, Microsoft will support
them in the same fashion as any other customer created customization that follows the SDK guidelines.
Accelerator workflows and customizations will be supported as any other workflows and/or
customizations are today. Accelerator reports, because they use standard means of building reports, will
be supported in the same way as customer/partner reports are supported today. From a coding
perspective, calls to the platform will be supported in the same way that any other customization that
calls our platform is supported today. In the case of the Portal, customers or partners that go outside
the boundary of CRM and build non-CRM related customizations will not be supported.
The Microsoft Support organization is in the process of being trained on the Accelerators to ensure they
are equipped to help customers or partners troubleshoot Accelerator-related issues.
Is there pre-release code available? Can we participate in QA?
Some Accelerators have been released while others are still considered in BETA. To provide feedback on
Accelerators still in BETA, contact Reuben Krippner .
What are the localization plans?
The localization strategy is being finalized but the MINIMUM commitment is to have five accelerators
localized in five languages: German, Dutch, French, Italian, and Danish. The five Accelerators that are
currently scheduled to be localized are eService, Event Management, Extended Sales Forecasting, CRM
Notifications and Analytics. This includes the installer, documentation and configuration.
The non-English versions will be released before the end of CY2008.
Can the Field and/or partners localize the Accelerators?
Yes. The Accelerators were developed with localization in mind. Instructional videos will be created that
provide tips on how to localize.
Who developed the Accelerators? Did Microsoft or Partners develop them?
Accelerators represent a collaborative effort by members of the CRM product planning team and some
partners. Microsoft’s Reuben Krippner and Barry Givens led the bulk of the coding effort, with some
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4. Accelerators for Microsoft Dynamics CRM – Functional and Overview FAQs
external vendors assisting with some foundational work. Microsoft owns the Intellectual Property (IP)
but will be sharing the source code.
What is the roadmap for Accelerators?
The product team is currently assessing whether or not to integrate the more popular Accelerators into
the next release (V.Next) of Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Whether or not some or all of the Accelerators
are subsumed into the next version of the product, Accelerators will be updated to ensure they are
compatible with V.Next, and any updates to the SDK guidelines. It is extremely important that any
extensions to the Accelerators that customers or partners code are compliant with SDK guidelines to
ensure compatibility with the next generation of Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Migration guidance for
Accelerators will be provided as part of the V.Next launch.
Are there plans for another round of Accelerators before the next version of Microsoft Dynamics
CRM?
This possibility is under consideration. A final decision will be made based on the feedback and usage of
this round of Accelerators.
When will the next version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM be released?
The release date for Microsoft Dynamics CRM v.Next is still being determined. When a release date is
finalized, it will be communicated.
Will there be a customer webcast event?
If there is sufficient demand, a customer webcast could be scheduled. Note that Accelerators will
receive significant coverage in sessions at various Partner and customer events such as Convergence,
TechEd, etc.
Is Microsoft looking for customers to participate in pilots or for proofs of concept?
Absolutely, if you are a partner with a customer that would like to participate in a pilot, the Microsoft
Dynamics CRM team is very interested in the feedback and would like to support your efforts. Please
coordinate with your Microsoft regional representative.
What about Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile?
CRM Mobile is not being delivered as part of the Accelerators. An announcement on CRM Mobile will be
communicated shortly.
Are these Accelerators available in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online?
The Accelerators were architected for use in on-demand as well as on-premise environments. However
the initial release of the Accelerators will be for on-premise environments. Additional guidance for on-
demand environments will be provided over time.
Will the Accelerators work in a Partner-hosted environment?
Yes, while our initial target is on-premise deployments, Partner-hosted deployments will be supported.
Should these types of deployment warrant changes to the Accelerators or additional guidance, an
update to the Accelerators will be released.
Are all of the Accelerators available for the Microsoft Outlook® Client as well as the browser client?
Yes, the Accelerators have been architected to work with both clients.
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5. Accelerators for Microsoft Dynamics CRM – Functional and Overview FAQs
Is there a Partner mailing list I can subscribe to for the latest information on Accelerators?
There is no such mailing list at this time. Please contact your Microsoft representative to make sure that
he or she keeps you informed. The Microsoft Dynamics CRM team is considering establishing an online
community for the Accelerators. Should this community be launched, details on how to subscribe and
contribute will be broadly communicated. In the meantime, the Accelerator page on PartnerSource is an
excellent resource. Visit
https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/newsevents/news/MD_CRM_Accelerators frequently for
updates.
Analytics Accelerator Questions
Will I be able to drill down into CRM in the Analytics Accelerator?
Yes, in cases where the data is from Microsoft Dynamics CRM you will have drill down capability.
Do I need PerformancePoint® for the Analytics Accelerator?
The Analytics Accelerator does not necessarily require PerformancePoint. There are a number of items
that only require Microsoft SQL Server® and Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services.
Can an end user create or customize their own personal Analytics dashboard?
No, while this capability is not currently supported, it is being considered for inclusion into the next
version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
Is the ‘Funnel Report’ in the Analytics Accelerator a SQL Reporting Services report and is it compatible
with SQL Server 2005?
The Funnel Report is a standard SQL Reporting Services report. However, it does use the Dundas
controls that ship as part of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and as such, this particular report is only
available for SQL Server 2008.
How are the differences between Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and Microsoft SQL Server 2008
addressed in the Analytics Accelerator?
Two series of reports will be made available: one for SQL 2005, and one for SQL 2008. Although the
visualization controls in SQL 2008 are richer than those in SQL 2005, the Analytics Accelerator can still
enhance SQL 2005 implementations.
Is there an Analytics Accelerator available for Microsoft SQL Server Standard Edition?
If you have SQL Server Reporting Services, a number of the components of the Analytics Accelerator will
work.
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6. Accelerators for Microsoft Dynamics CRM – Functional and Overview FAQs
eService and Event Management Accelerator Questions
Can the eService Accelerator be used for internally?
Absolutely, there are partners who are planning on using the eService Accelerator for their help desk
operations, as an example. Be aware that licensing considerations apply and partners will need the
proper licenses for their implementations.
What are the licensing requirements for the eService and Event Management Accelerators?
Licensing is currently engaged in defining the licensing requirements. Currently to access Microsoft
Dynamics CRM data from an external entity, an External Connector License is required. As well for
individuals accessing data, a read only client license is required at a minimum.
Is the Event Accelerator linked to marketing campaigns in Microsoft Dynamics CRM?
Yes, it is built on top of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM campaign management functionality. When the
individual registers for an event it will actually create a campaign response in CRM against that
campaign.
Does the eService Portal show all cases for the associated account or only for the contact?
Partners or customers can determine this via a security setting in the portal for each individual web
user. When a contact is set up as a web portal user, either ‘Account Level’ privileges can be set, which
means that they can see all cases for their account; or ‘Contact Level’ which means that they can see
only the cases for that individual contact.
Enterprise Search Accelerator Questions
What are the licensing requirements for the Enterprise Search Accelerator?
The enterprise Search Accelerator is Microsoft Office SharePoint® Server (MOSS) dependent and
requires MOSS licensing. Licensing is currently engaged to finalize its position on the matter, but if an
individual is accessing CRM data through SharePoint services, each user will need a read-only client
license for Microsoft Dynamics CRM at a minimum.
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7. Accelerators for Microsoft Dynamics CRM – Functional and Overview FAQs
Sales Methodology Accelerator Questions
How will the Sales Methodology Accelerator work with SPI Solution Selling, Miller Heiman and Target
Account Selling (TAS)? What about their intellectual property (IP)?
Each of these vendors has their own IP which they own and vigorously guard. Their IP is not included in
these Accelerators. Information, guidance and advice as to how Microsoft Dynamics CRM can be
integrated with these vendors’ external solutions will be provided.
This document is for information purposes only.
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