REDMOND, Wash. — Feb. 12, 2007 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM Analytics Foundation, a new way of using business intelligence tools from Microsoft that enable comprehensive analysis and management of customer-facing processes, including business scorecard management, ad-hoc analyses of aggregated customer information, predictive analytics, enhanced reporting, and more. Together, they provide Microsoft Dynamics CRM users with real-time access to key information and metrics, allowing them to respond quickly to changing dynamics in today’s competitive business environment.
Analytics Foundation delivers on Microsoft’s vision to make business intelligence an integral part of a company’s everyday activities, and to enable better decision-making for everyone, from the executive to the information worker. It allows business performance to be tracked continuously through dashboards; enables managers and employees to quickly create reports and drill down into areas of interest; and helps sales, marketing and service employees to identify new opportunities to grow revenue and increase efficiency through the use of predictive analytics. By building on familiar and easy-to-use Microsoft® business intelligence tools, the new analytics capabilities deliver actionable insights via Microsoft Dynamics CRM, consistently and naturally.
“Analytics and business intelligence are essential to getting the most from customer management systems,” said Brad Wilson, general manager of Microsoft Dynamics CRM. “We’re focused on delivering roles-based analytics that enable every person to make better decisions and allow every customer interaction to be optimized.”
Pervasive Business Intelligence
Analytics Foundation uses unified dimensional models to build analytics that can be delivered to end users in the tool of their choice. Capabilities include the following:
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Real-time business performance management allows business decision-makers to access a real-time graphical view of the health of their business and drill into the details — right from their desktops. For example, new key performance indicators enable managers to monitor customer profitability and manage customer service volume forecasts.
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Business reporting and ad-hoc analysis uses online analytical processing cubes that enable managers and users to quickly and easily analyze Microsoft Dynamics CRM data without the need for IT help.
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Predictive analytics use the sophisticated data-mining algorithms within Microsoft SQL Server™ Analysis Services to detect patterns within customer information streams and to generate recommendations and decisions for driving better business process performance. For example, predictive analytics can recommend cross-sell and up-sell opportunities to contact-center agents or sales professionals, or automatically prioritize leads based on a historical analysis of the types of leads that are most likely to convert to opportunities.
Partners Focus on Business Intelligence to Drive Business Value
Microsoft Dynamics CRM partners are using Analytics Foundation to drive new levels of business value for their customers.
“Microsoft CRM Analytics Foundation bridges the disconnect between information and action — and we think that will result in extraordinary business results for our Microsoft CRM customers,” said Ryan Toenies, vice president of Infrastructure and CRM Solutions at Inetium Inc. “The tools available through Analytics Foundation enable our customers to leverage their existing Microsoft investment to provide critical business information to the right personnel at the right time.”
“Analytics Foundation allows our customers to take CRM to the next level,” said Darren Gooding, practice director for CRM and ERP at Neudesic. “The ability of an executive to see what’s happening across the organization in a matter of seconds via reporting tools and dashboards makes it possible for a company to move beyond simple CRM information sharing and into a place where they can make decisions about how to improve the overall health of their business. We’re thrilled to provide our customers with yet another choice in how they leverage their CRM data.”
Pricing and Availability
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Analytics Foundation leverages Microsoft’s broad investment in business intelligence technology across the company, and is available as a no-charge, shared-source download for customers and partners. It is currently available via CodePlex (http://www.codeplex.com), Microsoft’s open-source project-hosting Web site, and the Microsoft CRM Sandbox — a GotDotNet project created for Microsoft CRM users that allows them to share knowledge with other Microsoft CRM administrators, customizers, users and developers.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Analytics Foundation is a part of Microsoft’s broader business intelligence initiative, and uses data management and analytic technologies from the company’s suite of business intelligence products including Microsoft SQL Server 2005, Microsoft SharePoint® Technologies, Microsoft Office Business Scorecard Manager and Microsoft Office Excel®. Microsoft PerformancePoint™ Server 2007, which will be available later in 2007, will also work closely with Microsoft Dynamics CRM Analytics Foundation.
About Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft Dynamics is a line of financial, customer relationship and supply chain management solutions that helps businesses work more effectively. Delivered through a network of channel partners providing specialized services, these integrated, adaptable business management solutions work like and with familiar Microsoft software to streamline processes across an entire business.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
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