As I revise for the MB2-710 exam I am creating posts covering all aspects of my revision. Hopefully collectively they may help others prepare for the MB2-710 certification. (Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2016 Online Deployment.)

In this post I will begin to look at managing related services.

Let’s begin my looking at the skills measured statement for related services;

• Describe related services
  
  • Identify related online services; integrate Microsoft Social Engagement with Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online; manage campaigns with Microsoft Dynamics Marketing
    
• Integrate Yammer and SharePoint Online
  
  • Describe Yammer and SharePoint Online; identify SharePoint Online integration types; describe the integration process
    
• Integrate OneNote, Skype, Skype for Business, Office 365 Groups, and OneDrive for Business
  
  • Compare Dynamics CRM Notes and OneNote; identify storage location for OneNote notebooks; configure OneNote integration; integrate Skype and Skype for Business; identify limitations for Skype and Skype for Business; describe Office 365 Groups; identify requirements for Office 365 Groups; integrate Office 365 Groups with Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online
    

From these skills measured statements we can extract a list of services that you need to be aware of, including;

• Exchange Online,
• Microsoft Social Engagement,
• Microsoft Dynamics Marketing,
• Yammer,
• SharePoint Online,
• OneNote integration,
• Skype / Skype for Business,
• Office 365 Groups,
• OneDrive for Business.

This list is quite long but don’t worry. I don’t believe you’ll be expected to know every product in major detail. But you will be expected to be aware of the main features of each product and how each integrates with CRM. I also suggest carefully reading the skills measured again, notice that it makes specific statements on some products. Such as “identify storage location for OneNote notebooks”. Watch out for these and make sure you’ve covered them off.

Many of these integration points come up in other CRM exams, meaning I have already written posts on some of them. When this is the case I will link back to my previous posts.

Exchange Online

Exchange Online provides email and is used with CRM Online.  Emails created in CRM can be sent via Exchange Online using one of these methods,

• sever-side synchronization,
  
• email router,
  
• CRM for Outlook.
  

Don’t forget that CRM online can used use Exchange On-Premise!

If using Exchange Online, it is added to Office 365 as a standalone subscription or as part of an Office 365 plan. (Such as the Office 365 Enterprise E3 plan.)

Microsoft Social Engagement

By social engagement we mean engaging with customers via multiple social platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and many others. In many situations social media has changed or is changing the way people communicate with organisations. Customers are more informed and obtaining that information from varied sources. Purchasing decisions are often influenced by discussions online.

Microsoft Social Engagement can be used on its own, integrated with CRM Online or CRM On-Premise.

You can add data from Microsoft Social Engagement to Microsoft Dynamics CRM on dashboards or on forms for entities such as accounts or campaigns.

To integrate you must have a Social Engagement subscription and have assigned licenses to users.  Social Engagement is included with CRM Online enterprise licenses and subscriptions that have 10 or more professional licenses.

You can find an introduction to social engagement here.

You can learn how to connect CRM Online to Social Engagement here.

Microsoft Dynamics Marketing (MDM)

Microsoft Dynamics Marketing (MDM) is an on-line service for planning, executing, and measuring campaigns across multiple channels.  MDM can be used stand alone or linked with CRM Online using the Microsoft Dynamics Marketing connector.  You can buy Microsoft Dynamics Marketing on its own, or as part of the CRM Online enterprise user license as it provides access to MDM and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online.

To integrate Microsoft Dynamics Marketing with CRM Online you first must install the Marketing Connector Solution.  You can download it here.

The connector solution shares and synchronizes marketing data between CRM and Microsoft Dynamics Marketing.

You can then also install the Microsoft Dynamics Marketing seller portal solution.  This uses the shared marketing data to provide an overview of marketing messages to accounts and contacts from within CRM.

You can find more information on Microsoft Dynamics Marketing here. (This link includes access to some videos you might find provide a useful overview. Including this one.)

Yammer

Yammer is an enterprise social networking tool that revolving around the concepts of making posts, receiving messages etc. Yammer will replace social feeds on dashboards in CRM. And we can interact with Yammer directly from the dashboard. New posts created on a dashboard will be at a high level and not specific to any CRM record.

Yammer enterprise licenses are required to integrate with CRM.  (The free version of Yammer is not supported for integration.)

You configure Yammer from the “Yammer Configuration” option you’ll find in settings / administration.

Note: When you enable Yammer it replaces the out of the box CRM activity feed AND there is no way to revert back.

You will find a post I previously created on Yammer here.

SharePoint

SharePoint integration with CRM supports the storing and management of documents in SharePoint document libraries, allowing them to be “surfaced up” directly in CRM in the context of CRM records. This allows users to quickly find documents related to a CRM entity without having to search a potentially massive SharePoint repository.

One advantage of this approach is that access to the SharePoint isn’t limited to CRM users. As the documents are available via CRM or directly in SharePoint. Meaning, for example, you could have a sales proposal held in CRM against an opportunity. This proposal documents can be reviewed and amended by anyone with SharePoint access, no CRM license is required.

Note: Enabling SharePoint document management is also a component of OneNote integration.

There are two SharePoint architectures, client-side or server-based. (or server-side if you like.)

Client-side uses the list component. Meaning the CRM client displayed in a browser “talks” to SharePoint via the list component. The list component provides the grid that displays SharePoint details in CRM.

A server-based architecture does not require the list component. Making it more robust and potentially faster. Future versions of CRM may only offer a server-based architecture! With a server-based architecture the “SharePoint grid” in CRM is utilizing a native SharePoint component, meaning CRM and SharePoint can communicate server to server.

Server-based integration is the recommend configuration for CRM online.

You will find a post on SharePoint here.

OneNote integration

OneNote, as the name suggests is a product for taking notes. Notes can be simple items of text but could also involve screen shots, audio or even video that relate to whatever subject is being covered. From the social pane in CRM it is possible to open OneNote notebooks in the context of the currently selected record. You can then create and collaborate on OneNote documents using any of the supported clients.

Notice that OneNote integration is added to the social pane, it does not replace the CRM notes functionality. I often find using both is useful, CRM notes are great for simple ad-hoc notes. Whilst OneNote provides richer functionality when more comprehensive note taking is appropriate.

OneNote integration uses SharePoint to store the notebooks. Because of this OneNote integration options can be found in the document management area of settings in CRM. You must also enable document management and OneNote integration for each entity that will use OneNote notebooks.

Any OneNote notebooks created by CRM are stored in the SharePoint site. SharePoint is used as opposed to OneDrive per business, which is meant for storing private documents.  To set up OneNote integration, server based SharePoint integration must be enabled.

You can find a post on OneNote here.

Skype / Skype for Business

Out of the box Skype and Skype for Business integration is possible. This integration essentially gives two features, firstly the ability to use click to dial on any telephone number and secondly the capability to view presence information.

Note: Skype for Business was previously known as Lync.

Only one of Skype or Skype for Business can be configured for a CRM instance, the configuration options can be found in system settings.

You can find a post on Skype integration here.

Office 365 Groups

With Office 365 Groups, you can collaborate with people across your company … even if they aren’t Dynamics CRM users. Office 365 Groups provide a single location to share documents, conversations, meetings, and more. They offer shared workspaces for email, conversations, files and even calendar events.

Before installing Office 365 Groups you will need an Office 365 subscription that includes Exchange Online and SharePoint Online. Then Office 365 Groups can be installed as a managed solution, with CRM online this is available in the administration center for CRM.

Note: Office 365 Groups are not available on premise.

You will find a post on Office 365 Groups here.

OneDrive for Business

OneDrive for Business is included with Office 365 subscriptions. It provides a location for storing, synchronizing, and sharing work files.  Files stored in OneDrive for Business are by default private but can be shared with work colleagues.  Unlike SharePoint, where documents are by default shared to work colleagues.

Each user gets 1Tb of online storage.

OneDrive can be linked to CRM, meaning users can access files stored in OneDrive for Business within forms in CRM.

OneDrive for Business works with CRM online and CRM 2016 on premise. All users require an Office 365 license.

As with OneNote, to configure OneDrive for Business CRM must already be configured to use SharePoint using server based integration. (Note: This statement therefore implies the SharePoint list component is not supported.)

OneDrive for Business is enabled from settings / document management in the CRM web application.

Selecting the enable OneDrive for Business option will present the following dialog. Allowing you to quickly enable OneDrive.

Once you have enabled OneDrive, an additional option will be shown that will allow you to define the folder that will be used for store personal files. The default location will be “CRM”.

Once configured OneDrive for Business can be accessed from the documents option found in the navigation on entities in CRM. (Just as with SharePoint.) When a file is uploaded you can opt to store the file in SharePoint or OneDrive. It is also possible to create new files and open them directly. (Using Excel Online etc.)

Notice below that I have uploaded two documents against an account. One in SharePoint and the other in OneDrive for Business.

Notice that by selecting the document I have options to check out, check in, edit properties and also open directly in SharePoint or OneDrive.

Tip: To share a OneDrive document you’d need to open the location of the document and share directly from OneDrive for business.

Also, you might want to consider the implications of changing an owner on a CRM record. The ownership of files within OneDrive will not change, as they are personal to the user who created them.

You should also be aware that access to OneDrive for business is controlled by a privilege on CRM security roles.

I have covered quite a lot in this post! As you revise you might need to take quite a bit of time to try out each of the components I have described. Enjoy.
J