Comments on: CRM Online and the Business Productivity Online Suite — Which One is Ready for the Cloud Computing Primetime? http://www.dynamicscrmtrickbag.com/2009/03/15/bpos_not_ready/ Building business value on Dynamics CRM Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:09:05 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Richard Knudson http://www.dynamicscrmtrickbag.com/2009/03/15/bpos_not_ready/comment-page-1/#comment-135 Richard Knudson Thu, 09 Apr 2009 22:36:35 +0000 http://www.dynamicscrmtrickbag.com/?p=226#comment-135 Hi John, How do you really feel, though? :-) Seriously, while I experienced more than my share of frustrations in getting BPOS set up, I DID end up getting it working, and I really like it now that we're up. In fact, a day after posting the original article, I had about 3 people from the MS Online Services team calling me repeatedly trying to set up support calls and get my issues resolved...which they did and my issues got resolved! I was very impressed with their followup, and I'll put up a more complete post shortly on the experience. And btw, I don't undervalue the services provided by companies like yours and John's -- far from it, since while we aren't in your space, we do provide services on CRM that are complementary to CRM Online. I was simply making the point that it needs to be easier to set up if they expect small businesses WITHOUT partner support or internal staff to have any success with it. Regards, Hi John,

How do you really feel, though? :-)

Seriously, while I experienced more than my share of frustrations in getting BPOS set up, I DID end up getting it working, and I really like it now that we’re up. In fact, a day after posting the original article, I had about 3 people from the MS Online Services team calling me repeatedly trying to set up support calls and get my issues resolved…which they did and my issues got resolved!

I was very impressed with their followup, and I’ll put up a more complete post shortly on the experience.

And btw, I don’t undervalue the services provided by companies like yours and John’s — far from it, since while we aren’t in your space, we do provide services on CRM that are complementary to CRM Online. I was simply making the point that it needs to be easier to set up if they expect small businesses WITHOUT partner support or internal staff to have any success with it.

Regards,

]]> By: John Butler http://www.dynamicscrmtrickbag.com/2009/03/15/bpos_not_ready/comment-page-1/#comment-128 John Butler Wed, 08 Apr 2009 23:52:15 +0000 http://www.dynamicscrmtrickbag.com/?p=226#comment-128 Hi Richard, I can't think of a single one of our customers who would want to inflict upon themselves, the nightmare of trying to use Microsoft support lines to get help in setting their email up. As Mark comments, in this sector it is about providing support and service (in addition to a solid solution) and that is the critical factor. It's annoying that Microsoft is kicking all of us hosting providers in the teeth in a knee-jerk reaction to win their Google-war, but not terribly worrying because they don't have a hope of doing it this way. Their partner economics are terrible, the concept of asking people to hand their customers over is flawed..and the customer would not benefit and end up being poorly served..ALWAYS. Microsoft's concept of a small business is one of a few hundred employees; dealing with a 10 person business is something they're hopelessly under-qualified to do. The person in the foreign call centre has only a few flow charts to work off...step out of those and they're lost..and so are you. So as long as Mark's company, mine and others continue to provide what customers in this sector really want, namely top-notch service, you should consider your choices more wisely next time you reach for that credit card! Hi Richard, I can’t think of a single one of our customers who would want to inflict upon themselves, the nightmare of trying to use Microsoft support lines to get help in setting their email up.

As Mark comments, in this sector it is about providing support and service (in addition to a solid solution) and that is the critical factor.

It’s annoying that Microsoft is kicking all of us hosting providers in the teeth in a knee-jerk reaction to win their Google-war, but not terribly worrying because they don’t have a hope of doing it this way. Their partner economics are terrible, the concept of asking people to hand their customers over is flawed..and the customer would not benefit and end up being poorly served..ALWAYS. Microsoft’s concept of a small business is one of a few hundred employees; dealing with a 10 person business is something they’re hopelessly under-qualified to do. The person in the foreign call centre has only a few flow charts to work off…step out of those and they’re lost..and so are you.

So as long as Mark’s company, mine and others continue to provide what customers in this sector really want, namely top-notch service, you should consider your choices more wisely next time you reach for that credit card!

]]> By: Richard Knudson http://www.dynamicscrmtrickbag.com/2009/03/15/bpos_not_ready/comment-page-1/#comment-21 Richard Knudson Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:52:20 +0000 http://www.dynamicscrmtrickbag.com/?p=226#comment-21 Hi Mark - Thanks for your comment. I'm relieved at what you wrote, "...we know how difficult it is to provide these services successfully...". I was starting to wonder if I was just dumb! I don't doubt that once you get it up and running it works great. But I think a lot of small businesses, especially if they go into it thinking it will be easy, will have a very frustrating experience with BPOS. Either Microsoft should make it clearer what's required to get it up and running and drive services out to people like you, or make it easier...or a combination of both. Regards, Richard Hi Mark –
Thanks for your comment. I’m relieved at what you wrote, “…we know how difficult it is to provide these services successfully…”. I was starting to wonder if I was just dumb! I don’t doubt that once you get it up and running it works great. But I think a lot of small businesses, especially if they go into it thinking it will be easy, will have a very frustrating experience with BPOS. Either Microsoft should make it clearer what’s required to get it up and running and drive services out to people like you, or make it easier…or a combination of both.

Regards, Richard

]]> By: Mark Adams http://www.dynamicscrmtrickbag.com/2009/03/15/bpos_not_ready/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Mark Adams Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:33:57 +0000 http://www.dynamicscrmtrickbag.com/?p=226#comment-20 Hi Richard BPOS - I am not surprised as a Hosted Exchange provider in the UK since 2001 we know how difficult it is to provide these services successfully, it is not about the technology it is about the service wrap that flows around it. Microsoft will get this right (eventually) and the model does work, I have over 5000 satisfied customer who will testify to that, but choose your partner carefully... Mark Hi Richard
BPOS – I am not surprised as a Hosted Exchange provider in the UK since 2001 we know how difficult it is to provide these services successfully, it is not about the technology it is about the service wrap that flows around it. Microsoft will get this right (eventually) and the model does work, I have over 5000 satisfied customer who will testify to that, but choose your partner carefully…

Mark

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