CRM 4.0 Client Upgrade To CRM 2011
Left Outside Alone…
Following on from my previous post Outlook 2003 Client Features, I was asked about the CRM 4.0 Client for Outlook and how this works with CRM 2011 Server.
As you may know, Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 for Outlook with Update Rollup 7 (or later) is compatible with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Server. This compatibility eases the upgrade timeline to allow administrators to do a phased rollout without being forced to upgrade clients at the same time as the server (See Microsoft Dynamics CRM 201 Planning Guide for more details).
Unlike the CRM 2011 Client For Outlook, there are no context-specific menus. Instead, you get the full “web-client ribbon” in the entity grid views. You can see this clearly below, with the first example showing the CRM 4.0 Client for Outlook 2003 and the second showing the CRM 2011 Client for Outlook 2003.
CRM 2011 Server with CRM 4.0 Client for Outlook 2003
CRM 2011 Server with CRM 2011 Client for Outlook 2003
One key limitation seems to be that the “Go Offline” functionality is disabled when the CRM 4.0 Client for Outlook connects to CRM 2011 server. So if you have a lot of occasionally connected users, making extensive use of the offline synchronisation, you might need to develop an alternative upgrade strategy.
In order to compare the look & feel of the CRM 4.0 Client, I put together another PowerPoint presentation, this time containing a number of screenshots of the core CRM 2011 functionality with the CRM 4.0 client for Outlook 2003. I have attached a copy here.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.