No Internet, No Problem! Offline Capabilities feature for CRM Online
What’s the deal?
In a recent roundtable discussion MSDynamicsWorld.com sat down with six Microsoft Dynamics CRM MVPs to discuss the upcoming release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2016. When asked about the rumored Offline Capabilities feature for CRM Online, CRM MVP Alex Fagundes said, “It’s the first time we’re seeing a main component being available only in CRM Online. I’m specifically speaking about Offline Capabilities in the mobile clients.” Many CRM experts including our own here at Alta Vista Technology believe that this Offline Capabilities will eventually be available on Dynamics CRM online, but no timetable is yet set.
What’s the Impact?
This means that those users with “mobile offices” (and CRM online) in the field can be productive anywhere. Whether you’re a field technician, retail merchandiser, or a salesperson you won’t have to resort to pen and paper. As an added bonus, a company can also configure offline sync rules for their organization. For instance, said company can make their top ten customers available offline in the mobile app. These sync rules are said to easily be setup with a few mouse clicks by system administrators.
It’s worth noting that the Microsoft Dynamics CRM mobile application will still work for on-premises deployments, but they will need an internet connection to do so. This specific use case brings up several questions including the data usage for the “in the field” team. Another topic worth discussing is the cellular coverage for those employees; as some remote areas may be limited even in today’s connected world. Before you set full course on an online or an on-premise CRM solution, it’s important to take these scenarios into account to avoid future road blocks to your productivity.
