I recorded the live sessions with the Live Meeting recording feature, but I wasn’t happy with the quality, so I re-recorded, in three parts:

I got the slide presentation down to a hair under 10 minutes, so it was uploadable to YouTube. Here it is embedded:

Here’s the link to the YouTube video if you want to navigate to it directly.

The demos were too big to upload to YouTube, so I put them up on my site. Here they are:
 

• Demonstration 1: Lead Capture and Internet Marketing in Dynamics CRM Online
• Demonstration 2: Using the Web2CRM add-on from CRM Innovation (will post shortly)

We’re set for a June 25 meeting, and I hope you can join us! The main topic will be Internet Marketing in Dynamics CRM. We’ll also have a new short-format tutorial, this one on the Data Migration Manager. As always, free (yet extremely valuable!). register and find more information about the topics here.

At the May DCRMUG meeting, we focused on backend integration, and featured Scribe Software, one of the market leader in integration and migration tools for CRM. 

We piloted a new panel discussion format, facilitated by Jonathan Lee, and had some excellent insights from our intrepid panel members. I encourage you to join us in extending a hearty DCRMUG thank-you to our panel:

Discussion Panel Members:

• Scott Sewell, CRM Solutions Consultant, CustomerEffective
• Kristin Kiester, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Practice Manager, Dell
• Joseph Thomas, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Project Lead, Dell
• Gaswar (Q) Suliman, CRM Consultant, Dell
• Juliet DePina, Regional Business Manager – West, Scribe
• Rich Radaci, Technical Pre-Sales Engineer, Scribe

Panel Member Bios:

Scott Sewell, CRM Solutions Consultant, CustomerEffective
Scott is CRM Solutions Consultant at CustomerEffective consulting services. He started using Scribe since 2001 and has used it for internal projects and with customers. His most recent project was a 2-year, multi-phase, 350 user implementation of Dynamics CRM for Equinox Fitness. The implementation was highlighted in CRM case studies by Microsoft and another by Scribe Software for the use of Scribe Insight to integrate CRM with the customer’s legacy systems.

Kristin Kiester, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Practice Manager, Dell 

Kristin is Microsoft Dynamics CRM Practice Manager at Dell’s Global Infrastructure Consulting Services. She has been involved in Microsoft Dynamics CRM projects since version 1.2 and has been responsible for ensuring CRM installation, customizations, and overall implementations. Prior to her Practice Manager role, Kristin served as the Teams Technical Architect. Kristin’s team has implemented over 6,000 CRM seats ranging anywhere from 5 to 2,000 users.

Joseph Thomas, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Project Lead, Dell

Joe currently serves as the Project Leader for Dynamics CRM implementations where he coordinates and leads all data migration requirements sessions. Joe has over 8 years of experience working with CRM solutions. Joe holds MBA from the University of Pittsburg, Katz School of Business and Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Franklin & Marshall College.

Gaswar (Q) Suliman, CRM Consultant, Dell

Q has been involved in a number of migration projects during the past four years. Currently as a CRM Consultant at Dell, he has utilized Scribe Insight and C360 Import Manager to conduct migrations and integrations between Microsoft Dynamics CRM and legacy systems. Q holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Science and Technology (IST) from Penn State University.

Juliet DePina, Regional Business Manager, Scribe

Juliet works with Scribe Partners on business building, lead generation and strategic initiatives. Prior to joining Scribe, Juliet spent 5 years with a successful Microsoft GP and CRM Partner. Juliet understands the needs and goals of the Partner community. Additionally, Juliet worked for WebMD selling private portal solutions and SaaS to healthcare organizations. Juliet’s 20+ years in sales and technology position her well to work closely with CRM Partners to drive business. Juliet holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in English, Microsoft Sales Certification and various additional sales training certifications.

Rich Radaci, Technical Pre-Sales Engineer, Scribe

Prior to coming aboard with Scribe Software in 2006, Rich had spent 18 years at Xerox Corporation as a Systems Analyst with a specific technical focus on content management to include both document management and AM/FM/GIS (Automated Mapping/Facilities Management/GIS) technologies. This experience has created a solid foundation for Rich which compliments his current role at Scribe Software as a successful presales technical engineer. Rich’s education includes a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering as well as holding industry certifications as both a Microsoft Certified Professional and Business Management Solutions Specialist.

Sorry about that lousy audio!

For those of you who dialed in and endured the lousy audio quality…thank you! For those of you who told us exactly what you thought of that lousy audio (LIKE WITH THOSE EMAILS IN ALL CAPS AND EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!) … sorry!

fwiw, neither Jonathan nor I were at all satisfied with the technical/delivery aspects of the last meeting, and we will do better at the June meeting! (Jonathan promises.)

Richard Knudson  

The U.S. economy shrank at a 6% annual pace in the last two quarters, and Microsoft (!) experienced its first ever quarterly decline in sales and profits. It’s a tough market, no doubt. But there are hopeful signs, especially if you provide products or services around the juggernaut SharePoint or the fast-growing Dynamics CRM.

Hang in there, build your skills, refine your processes, take care of your customers. There’s light at the end of the tunnel!

Summary of Q3 Earnings Report

Richard — richardk@imginc.com

Welcome to the new home of the Dynamics CRM User Group!

Meeting 3: Dynamics CRM 4.0 Accelerators

• When: April 30, 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM
• Where: online, or in person at the Microsoft office in Downers Grove IL
• Featured topic: Dynamics CRM Accelerators
• Presentations and demonstrations by Bob Piskule of Microsoft and Richard Knudson of IMG, and maybe some others

For more information, visit the meeting details page.

Richard Knudson recently wrote two articles on the Search Accelerator for Dynamics CRM, so for your reference:

• Enterprise Search Accelerator for Dynamics CRM, part 1 (setting it up)
• Enterprise Search Accelerator for Dynamics CRM, part 2 (using it from inside SharePoint)