What drives successful CRM implementations? In the end - user adoption will define success. No matter how much time you spend on configuring your CRM application, no matter how cool your CRM reports look, no matter how much money you spend on your CRM solution - if your CRM solution does not adopt to end user behavior your CRM solution will fail.
:: Enter Mobile Computing ::
I have spent considerable time traveling over the last year and what strikes more than anything is how many business people depend on their mobile phone to stay connected to the office. More and more traveling business users are using their mobile phone to communicate with customers and the office. Email, tasks, appointments, and contacts - all of this information is crtical for the mobile user. In years past laptop computers were the only way to stay connected to the corporate office. In a matter of a couple of years PDA's and Smartphone's have revolutionized mobile computing.
BlackBerry devices (manufactured by RIM) forever changed the landscape of mobile phone technology. These devices allowed mobile users the ability to not only read email messages but they offered a full keyboard that enabled users to easily respond to email messages. This unique functionality attracted business users in record numbers. RIM also captured the financial and government markets by supporting security requirements like remote disablement of the mobile device (used in cases where a phone is lost or stolen). Early RIM devices were over-sized due to the size of the keyboard but over time RIM has created BlackBerry devices that have become more streamlined.
One negative for the BlackBerry devices is the service required to push email (contacts, appointments, tasks, etc.) down to the device. Known as the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (or BES) this application provides overhead to a normal messaging environment (think of it as the middle ground between corporate messaging platform and the mobile device). Because the market did not offer a lot of options the BlackBerry Enterprise Server did not stop consumers from buying these devices. Staying connected to important business transactions far out weighed the costs associated with purchasing these BlackBerry servers.
As the market began maturing Microsoft evolved their mobility strategy. For years, the Microsoft Pocket PC platform was strictly a mobile computing platform without phone capabilities. Slowly, Microsoft dabbled with Phone enabled Pocket PC software (actually labeled Pocket PC Phone Edition). Over time, Microsoft evolved their mobile strategy and now have created a Windows Mobile operating system that has surpassed RIM and Palm as the market leader in mobile phone platforms.
Adding fuel to the fire, OEM manufacturer HTC began getting creative with mobile phone devices in order to offer options to business users. At the same time they were building devices that hosed a variety of operating systems they began to create an alliance with Microsoft to build phones that targeted the feature set of Microsoft Windows Mobile.
:: The Result ::
HTC and Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system have now taken the market by storm. What's more impressive is that these devices are dominating markets in the US, Canada, and Europe. Utilizing the power of Microsoft Exchange Server and Microsoft Windows Mobile - business users get real-time access to emails, calendars, contacts, and appointments. In addition to managing daily communication these devices provide a rich web browsing experience similar to browsing websites with your PC.
The impressive ingenuity by Microsoft and HTC has created mobile phones that provide users with options. Do you like a phone with a keyboard, do you like a candy bar or clam shell style, or do you prefer Wi-Fi or Bluetooth? The answer is - it does not matter because whatever your preference there is a style that fits your needs. Are you on a GSM or CDMA network - do you need to travel internationally - regardless of your requirements there is a mobile phone for you.
:: Mobile Phones & CRM ::
As mobile phones continue to evolve so do the expectations of business users. If they can send emails, schedule appointments, create contacts, and manager their tasks then why not have access to their corporate CRM data?
The Answer: Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile Express
Not to sound like a broken record but the reason for the two applications is to support the demands of mobile users. CRM Mobile is an application that gets installed on Pocket PC Phone Edition devices and CRM Mobile Express is device agnostic allowing anyone with a phone that supports HTML 4.0 to get access to Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
Is CRM going Mobile - I believe the answer is already known. Are you reading this blog using your mobile phone?
:: Example Mobile Phones ::

What is your favorite mobile phone?
:: Ryan ::