Microsoft CRM: Finally Ready for Success?

When Microsoft purchased Great Plains in 2001, many Redmond watchers–including me–expected the company to make an instant splash in the CRM and ERP markets.

In retrospect, my 2001 exposé on the Microsoft/Great Plains combo was too bullish. It has taken Microsoft far longer than expected to merge all of its ERP products into a single code base. And while some CRM partners have enjoyed great success working with Microsoft, the company’s overall track record with Great Plains is mixed at best.

Craig Bruya, CFO of Microsoft Business Solutions, describes the company’s ERP and CRM challenges in a recent interview with Investor’s Business Daily. Compare that interview with my 2001 feature, and you’ll see just how difficult it is to compete in the server applications space.