MSPs Embrace Microsoft Dynamics CRM
If you believe the Microsoft bashers, open source and software as a service (SaaS) will ultimately destroy Microsoft’s traditional software markets and revenue streams. But while open source continues to gain serious momentum, we’re not seeing solutions providers and SaaS experts abandon Microsoft. On the contrary, a growing number of Microsoft partners are lining up to support Dynamics CRM, SharePoint and Exchange Server.
The latest example involves Frontpages (www.fpweb.net), a hosting provider that plans to offer Dynamics CRM to small businesses (starting at $99 per month), corporate ($495) and larger enterprises ($4,595 per month).
This isn’t Frontpages’ first move into the hosted Microsoft applications market. The Frontpages Web Hosting Network also supports:
- SharePoint
- Exchange email
- Project
- PerformancePoint
- Office Communications Server
- SQL Server
Rival MSPs should keep a particularly close eye on Frontpages’ Office Communications Server (OCS) strategy, which is the cornerstone of Microsoft’s unified communications strategy.
As businesses of all sizes begin to marry their VoIP infrastructure with customer-centric applications, OCS could emerge as a popular platform for managed service providers.
We’ve also noticed a growing number of Microsoft partners acquiring one another (see the MSPmentor M&A Tracker), in order to round out their SaaS product portfolios and to extend their geographic reach.
How will microsoft partners differentiate from one another as more and more offer hosted microsoft applications?
James – I think the answer to your question is simply “add value”! SaaS deployments (MS or not) require 24×7 support…this is one way that RTDS is leveraging our services and “value” into the market. Unfortunately, many/most MSP’s cannot “cost-effectively” provide 24×7 support services thus they turn to other vendors that can.
It may take a “leap of faith” to turn over NOC and help desk support to offshore support entities but if you choose the right partner and coordinate the efforts properly it is a “win win” for both the vendor and their clients long-term.
Jim