On October 21st, Microsoft announced a strategic original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement with InsideView, Inc. that will integrate InsideView’s social intelligence capabilities with Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Microsoft also announced a new set of industry-specific business process templates. Both will be available to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 users by the end of the month.
InsideView is a leading provider of CRM social intelligence, used by more than 350,000 sales and marketing professionals in more than 13,000 companies. Their tool, InsideView for Sales, will be known as Social Insights in Dynamics CRM 2013, and it will be available to all US users October 30th, and worldwide in 2014.
Microsoft CRM Vice President Bob Stutz says, “CRM must evolve beyond sales workflow and management reporting. Social Insights, integrated with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, gives sales people the information they need to be more effective. InsideView is one of the leaders in social selling, and is already central to many of our customers’ CRM strategies. Delivering Social Insights within Microsoft Dynamics CRM extends the reach of these vital capabilities to more customers, making it easier for them to achieve their marketing and sales goals.”
Social Insights in Dynamics CRM 2013 will give users accurate company and contact data, relevant news and social insights, and an extensive network of professional connections that will prove useful during the marketing and selling process. Company and contact data can be automatically synchronized with contact profiles in Microsoft Dynamics CRM, keeping records up to date as people and companies change. Custom watch lists and automatic alerts can keep users abreast of news that affects their accounts.
The new business process templates are focused on specific industries, such as professional services, manufacturing, and financial services. These processes are completely configurable and incorporate best practices from industry experts. They will be available to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 users October 31st.
