As an update to a post I did last month about mobile phone options for Microsoft Dynamics CRM,  Softtrends just released Mobile CRM+ which works on Blackberries, Windows Mobile, and Symbian phones.

It has a few interesting features:

• It can record calls and/or take voice notes which can be stored as Activities in CRM
• It has a DVR style audio buffer that allows you to selects key points of recordings
• It works offline

A lot of people really like the search-for-everything offerings that are available for the internet and computers. So, I’ve been getting existing customers asking if CRM has a “global search” option.

The primary Dynamics CRM search options, called Find and Advanced Find, do a pretty good job of enabling users to dig into CRM’s data to find what they need. But, Find only searches within a single entity such as Leads. And Advanced Find can perform a broader search but it’s a bit more time consuming.

So is there a way to perform one quick search that looks though all of Dynamics CRM? Yes, but it’s not built-in to Dynamics CRM. One option is the Multi-Field Search for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 by c360. C360 is an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) that makes software add-ons for Microsoft Dynamics CRM to enhance its functionality. The c360 Multi-Field Search enables you to perform one search that simultaneously looks across multiple entities (i.e. Leads, Contacts, etc) and fields (i.e. First Name, Last Name, etc).

This comes in pretty handy in general and especially for companies who are heavy users of the Leads entity because it eliminates the need to search for a person in Leads and again in Contacts.

More information on the Multi-Field Search for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 is on c360’s website.

Softtrends just released a mobile offering for Dynamics CRM 4.0 named Mobile CRM+ http://www.crmmobileplus.com/msdynamics.html. Most of the Dynamics CRM mobile options currently available have fairly basic functionality or functional constraints. This one caught my eye with some interesting features:

·         Available for Windows Mobile, Symbian/Nokia, and Blackberry Curve devices

·         Supports Dynamics CRM Online (formerly Dynamics CRM Live)

·         Can capture device camera images and attach to any entity such as Leads, Accounts, Contacts, etc

·         Can capture device microphone recordings to attach audio annotations to entities

·         Can record incoming and outgoing phone calls and attach to Leads or Contacts

·         Works online and offline

One potential issue is it appears to have a basic interface that isn’t geared toward the Microsoft look and feel. I haven’t tested it yet so I’m not sure exactly what it looks like and how well the interface works. It definitely has some promising features though.