Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online versus Salesforce.com
A Dozen Reasons to Choose CRM Online
As cloud technology becomes more prominent in the technological world, many businesses are looking to invest in cloud-based CRM offerings, whether or not they already have a CRM application. This page is a comparison of two separate offerings: Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and Salesforce.com Professional Edition.
A CRM-application deployment is a complex and multifaceted process. Of the numerous obstacles involved in the process, user adoption can often be the biggest hurdle to overcome for any successful CRM deployment. The element of familiarity can help to reduce the learning curve for users of new applications. Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online has a similar look and feel to other Microsoft products already widely used in the business arena, and is designed to integrate easily into a Microsoft software environment, whereas Salesforce.com is a stand-alone product with its own interface style. It is likely that the typical new CRM user will be able to reach effective proficiency with Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online much sooner than they could with Salesforce.com.
When deciding between CRM Online and Salesforce.com, analyzing the difference in total cost of ownership (TCO) is important. Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online is the lower cost application throughout every parameter: licensing, deployment, maintenance, and long-term TCO. The initial price tag isn’t the only factor to take into account when choosing a solution, and CRM Online is certainly the more cost-efficient choice over the long haul.
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Microsoft
Dynamics CRM Online:
$44/user/month
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Salesforce.com
Professional Edition:
$65/user/month
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| Sales Automation |
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| Service Management |
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| Marketing Automation |
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| Native Outlook Experience |
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| Offline Client |
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| Territory Management |
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| Products and Quotes |
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| Orders and Invoices |
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| Service Scheduling |
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| Workflow |
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| Mobile Device Support* |
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| Data/File Storage |
5 GB |
2 GB |
| System Customization |
300 Custom Entities,
200 Configurable Workflows |
50 Custom Objects |
| Service Level Agreement |
99.9% uptime SLA |
No Standard SLA |
*Salesforce.com offers Mobile Lite, but the full mobile client has an additional charge per user per month, and is not offered in Contact Manager Edition or Group Edition.
Differences in storage are important to note as well. Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online provides 5 GB of storage upfront compared to the 2 GB offered by Salesforce.com. For CRM Online, additional storage can be purchased at $119.88 per year per 1 GB of data or file storage. Salesforce.com however charges $250.00 per year for an additional 1 GB of just data storage. For additional file storage, they charge an extra $60.00 per 1 GB. This means, if you need both, Salesforce.com will charge you $310.00 a year for those extra 2 MB.
In today’s business climate, mobile services are becoming increasingly valuable. Rapid responses and effective communication are crucial to the success of a company. This is why Microsoft offers Mobile Express free with CRM Online. Salesforce.com on the other hand charges additional monthly fees for their mobile service. In fact, they do not offer a mobile service in Contact Manager Edition or Group Edition. Instead, they offer Salesforce.com Mobile Lite with the Professional Edition, but it does not have all the features of a full mobile service. It does not support all standard nor custom objects; it only provides the ability to edit activities or tasks.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online carries tremendous value offline. With CRM Online you can view all standard and custom entities offline with no additional cost. Salesforce.com charges a monthly fee to use its Professional Edition offline, and doesn’t offer offline operation for either their Contact Manager Edition or their Group Edition.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online is a tremendously valuable tool to its customers. It provides a suite of sales, service, and marketing automation capabilities with no hidden costs. Unlike Salesforce.com, CRM Online does not charge for mobility, analytics, or other standard functionality. Enhanced everyday use across multiple applications and devices reduces the learning curve, streamlines deployment, and simplifies management—each of which in turn increases productivity. In the long run, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online has a lower TCO, and provides greater value, than Salesforce.com.