CRM for Tablets and CRM for Phones are great apps and I encourage you to try them out now.

To help you understand supported devices, potential configuration and authentication issues, customization topics and more we've published a new and updated list of Known Issues - link

To help businesses and organizations build social insights muscle,  Microsoft has entered into a strategic partnership with InsideView, one of the leading social intelligence providers in the market.

The first phase of this co-development partnership is the introduction of Social Insights capabilities directly within Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Fall ’13 Professional. 

Built on the InsideView CRM Intelligence Platform, Social Insights puts real-time company and contact information from 30,000 sources into Microsoft Dynamics CRM. 

Social Insights infuses Microsoft Dynamics 2013 Online with essential data. It populates CRM lead, contact, opportunity and account records with real-time company and contact data, insights and connections, so you can engage more effectively with customers and prospects. 

In the example below I've installed the Social Insigts solution (see bottom of this article) and I now have a new section on e.g my Account form, in which I'm presented with lots of valuable social insigths into the account I've opened.

Fig 1. Overview - shows company details such as address, industry, number of employees and revenue

Fig 2. People - detailed contact profiles and Connections

Fig 3. Buzz - latest social media conversation both from and about an account (you can connect your Twitter account and other accounts to see more)

Fig 4. Family Tree - all the legal relationships for the account, including acquisitions

Fig 5. All News (accessed via the '3 dots'/more menu)

Fig 6. Financials (accessed via the '3 dots'/more menu)

Getting Started

Go to http://www.insideview.com/microsoft-social-insights and follow the instructions (its as simple as installing the solution and grant access).

Fig 7. Getting Started

Note

• Social Insights was made available in the United States October 30 2013
• Broader global availability coming in 2014.
• If you want Social Insights to update your Company or Contact data in your CRM you need to allow Social Insights to add data via a service account you create in CRM. A service account is a non-interactive user account with the proxy role assigned to it. It cannot access the user interface, and can add data only through the web service layer

See also

• Admin Guide - link
• User Guide - link

In case you missed it - four new draft courses now published to Microsoft Dynamics Readiness and Training (PartnerSource)

• Customization and Configuration in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 - link
  This course describes the techniques required to customize Microsoft Dynamics CRM to meet the specialized needs of businesses. The topics covered include security; creation and configuration of entities; design of forms views and charts; auditing and solutions. The course describes each topic and how each topic relates to the other topics to produce a full configured, effective solution. (Course Number 80542)
  x
• Installation and Deployment in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 - link
  This course provides you with the skills to install and deploy Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013. The training material focuses on the components used within a Microsoft Dynamics CRM deployment, the hardware and software requirements needed to successfully deploy Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and the installation instructions for the primary Microsoft Dynamics CRM components: the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server, the E-Mail Router, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Office Outlook. The course also covers upgrading from earlier versions,  configuring an Internet-facing Deployment and administration tasks. (Course Number 80539)
  x
• Customer Service in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 - link
  This training introduces Microsoft Dynamics CRM service management functionality and explains how it helps you track information about cases, customer complaints or requests, and small projects. You will learn how to use the knowledge base and discusses how you can browse, locate, and share information in the repository. It also discusses how to create, manage and use teams and queues in Microsoft Dynamics CRM (Course Number 80545)
  x
• Sales Management in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 - link
  This training introduces the capabilities of Sales Management in Microsoft Dynamics CRM that allow you to track and manage the sales process from potential to close. It provides insight on using the Product Catalog and process sales information. It also introduces some of the tools used to analyze and report on sales information. (Course Number 80546)

Start preparing for those CRM 2013 certifications now - your certifications is a very valuable asset to you and your company.

See also

• Microsoft Dynamics Customizable Training Pack (for Microsoft Partners) - a convenient, cost-effective way to build knowledge for your organization.
  Gain unlimited access to a wide range of Microsoft Dynamics titles and training formats, including on-demand E-Learning and self-study training materials. Choose what works best for you. If your organization is not ready to purchase a Partner Service Plan and still wants unlimited access customizable to the Microsoft Dynamics technical training benefits, the Microsoft Dynamics Customizable Training Pack is a perfect fit. - link

For updated links (since the original post above) please see this post:

http://blogs.technet.com/b/lystavlen/archive/2014/02/27/train-and-certify-for-crm-2013-moc.aspx

Want to learn about the new CRM 2013? Now is your chance.

This 4 module 1.5 hour self-paced e-learning course will take you through all the features and even let you practice some of them.

Take the course here. You will need credentials for Microsoft Learning to access this free course.

Module 1

• Microsoft Dynamics CRM Functionality
• Deployment and Clients
• Relationships and Records
• Security
• Navigation
• Practice 1.1: Navigate CRM

Module 2

• Accounts and Contacts
• Practice 2.1: Create an Account
• Activivities, Notes and Attachments
• Practice 2.2: Create an Activity
• Yammer and Social Integration
• Practice 2.3: Work with a View
• Data Import

Module 3

• Processes
• Sales Scenario
• Practice 3.1: Create an opportunity
• Service Scenario
• Practice 3.2: Process a Case
• Marketing Scenario
• Practice 3.3: Create a Marketing List

Module 4

• Quick Find and Filtering
• Advanced Find and Saved Views
• Practice 4.1: Create a Saved View
• Data Export
• Report
• Charts and Goals
• Practice 4.2: Create a Chart
• Dashboards
• Practice 4.3: Create a Dashboard

Access the course here.

See also

• Should you go for Enhanced Support? - link (Enhanced support includes eLearning)
• Customer Service in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 - link
• Sales Management in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 - link

As a limited time offer (expiring March 31, 2014) subscribed customers to Office 365 E3 and E4 plans in the 42 markets where Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online service is available are eligible for a 40% discount on Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Professional User licenses.

These additional requirements apply:

• Minimum purchase of 50 Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Professional user licenses is required.
• The number of promotional licenses purchased cannot exceed the total number of E3 and E4 licenses.
• No discounts on Basic plan, Essential CAL, and subscription add-ons.
• This promotion is available under the following licensing programs on the price list:
• Microsoft Direct Online Services
  - or -
  Enterprise Agreement.
• This promotion cannot be combined with any other discount.
• Office 365 service must be acquired prior to requesting this promotion.
• Eligible EA customers must contact their Microsoft Representative to request this promotion.

You can read more about "Working in CRM" in this eBook

Take advantage of this limited time offer today! You must be an administrator on your Microsoft Office 365 account to act on this offer: http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/offers/CRME.aspx

See also

• Comparison of the new CRM Online 2013 subscriptions - http://blogs.technet.com/b/lystavlen/archive/2013/07/12/comparison-of-the-new-crm-online-subscriptions.aspx
• CRM for Outlook (work with CRM in your Outlook client) - http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40344
• CRM for Tablets (included in CRM Online for free) - http://blogs.technet.com/b/lystavlen/archive/2013/10/09/just-released-crm-for-tablets-now-available-on-the-windows-store.aspx
• CRM 2013 Customer Center, Implementation Guide and SDK - http://blogs.technet.com/b/lystavlen/archive/2013/09/27/crm-2013-customer-center-implementation-guide-and-sdk.aspx

To help you ensure that you follow consistent steps every time you work with customers CRM 2013 includes several ready-to-use business processes for common sales, service, and marketing scenarios

• Contact to order
  Target sales by using a consistent method to interact with customers
• Email sales campaign 
  Email prospects, create and qualify leads, develop opportunities, and then close deals
• Guided service case 
  Make sure that data is entered consistently for service cases, and that required activities are completed to resolve a case
• In store excellence  
  Suggest orders for store owners and field personnel and gain acceptance from store managers for those orders
• Marketing list builder 
  Create targeted marketing lists for accounts, contacts, or leads, add prospects, and gain manager approval
• Multichannel sales campaign 
  Contact prospects by phone and email, create and qualify leads, and then close deals
• Opportunity to invoice (Business-to-Business) 
  Follow a standard process for assessing needs, negotiating outcomes, fulfilling orders, and closing opportunities when selling to other businesses
• Phone sales campaign 
  Call prospects, create and qualify leads, develop opportunities, and then close deals
• Service appointment scheduling 
  Schedule service appointments, set up reminders, and make sure service activities are completed
• Service case upsell 
  Upsell additional products or services while resolving a customer’s service request
• Service case with service contract  
  Handle and resolve a service case after reviewing the service contract to see what the customer is entitled to
• Upsell after service interaction 
  Turn a good service experience into an opportunity to upsell more products and services to the customer

Before you can use these processes, you need to install them.

How to add ready-to-use processes to your system

1. On the navigation bar, click Microsoft Dynamics CRM and then Settings (Settings now appears on the navigation bar)
2. Click Settings and then Data Management
3. Click Add Ready-to-Use Business Processes
   
   
   x
4. Click Add
   
   

How to activate ready-to-use business processes

1. On the navigation bar, click Microsoft Dynamics CRM and then Settings
2. Click Settings and then Processes
   
   
   x
3. On the list of your processes, click on the left of the process name to select it
4. Click Activate (if not activated already - ready-to-use business processes are activated automatically when you add them)

Editing a Process

Even if you dont add any of the ready-to-use processes, Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online include three business process flows, one of which is the process "Lead to Opportunity". This process

• spans the entities "Lead" and "Opportunity" (a process can span multiple entities)
• includes four stages ("Qualify", "Develop", "Propose", and "Close")

Should you want to edit this process to fit a specific need in your organisation, you can access the process in the Settings module under Customizations

As mentioned above the "Lead to Opportunity Sales Process" includes the "Lead" entity in the "Qualify" stage. In the "Qualify" stage you work through seven steps (see below) each corresponding to a field on the "Lead" entity

When your Lead is qualified the process invokes the "Opportunity" entity, and three stages ("Develop", "Propose", and "Close"). Each stage has 4-5 steps to it. You can easily add/edit/reorder stages and steps and even create your own processes

Create your own processes and switching processes

If none of the built-in or ready-to-use processes fits your needs, you can easily create your own processes.

In this example I'm building a solution for Events (in-person and online meetings, seminars a.s.o), with two processes in it - one for a Community Meeting and one for an Online Seminar.

Step #1 - Create a solution (optional)

Step #2 - Create/add an entity, and add the fields you want in your process(es)

I'm creating an entity "Event" and adding all the fields I need, eg, "Build Agenda" (Y/N). You can see the rest of the fields included in the process in the screenshot in step #3 below.

Step #3 - Create the process(es)

I'm creating two processes - one for a Community Meeting (see below) and one for an Online Seminar. That way I'll be able to switch a meeting from an (in person) Community Day meeting to an Online Meeting should I need to.

My "Community Meeting" process has three stages to it ("Initial", "Content", and "Invitation") with respectively 2, 3, and 4 steps to them. The first step in the "Invitation" stage is Build Agenda (Y/N) corresponding to the above mentioned field. Please note that the fact that we are using fields in the flow means that any Business Logic you apply to a field will work also when you work with the field in the Business Process Flow.

Once the processes are built I can create an event using the "Community Meeting" (default) process. Note that one of the two steps in the "Initial" stage is "Book Rooms" (Y/N)

In the second stage "Content" I define content, speakers and book speakers

In the third stage "Invitation" I build the agenda, create the invitation, update the recipient list, send the invitation and create an reply folder in Outlook to catch all the replies.

Switching Processes

Should I need to revert the meeting to an Online Meeting (eg due to budget restraints) I can easily switch the process and maintain the previosly entered information

Note that in the "Online Seminar" process there is no need for rooms in the "Initial stage", hence the only step is the date. I could of course create a field to hold the URL to the Online meeting and put it in the stage.

With the new Business Process Flows its now easier than ever for you to invoke the processes have in your CRM application and benefit from the consistency they bring.

Learn More

• CRM 2013: Understanding Processes - link
• Business Processes (eBook) - link
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 Implementation Guide - link

Notes

• Only entities which use the updated forms can use Business process flows. This includes custom entities and the following system entities: "Account", "Appointment", "Campaign", "Campaign Activity", "Campaign Response", "Competitor", "Contact", "Email", "Fax", "Case", "Invoice", "Lead", "Letter", "Marketing List", "Opportunity", "Phone Call", "Product", "Price List Item", "Quote", "Recurring Appointment", "Sales Literature", "Order", "User", "Task", "Team"
• You can add a maximum of
• 10 activated process flows per entity
• 30 stages for a single entity process flow. If multiple entities participate in the process flow (multi-entity process flow), then the total number of stages per participating entity cannot exceed 30.
• 5 entities for a multi-entity process flow
• You can add entities that have 1:N relationship with the previous entity in the business process flow. Entities can be added linearly, in forward direction only
• A new privilege has been introduced called “activate business process flow”