Microsoft launches software for customer handling
Vincent Poncet, Microsoft Technical Solution Specialist for Dynamics CRM, shows to the media how Dynamics CRM works on a tablet running on Windows 8. The customer management software is also available on iOS and Android operating systems. Matikas Santos/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines – International technology company Microsoft has released its latest Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software that helps businesses to organize and keep track of their customers using any mobile device.
Dubbed Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013, it is available on iOS, Android, and Windows 8 operating systems which allows employees of a business to be “productive as they are kept connected to customers and given access to data wherever they are,” Microsoft said in a statement.
A CRM software stores information on the customers of a business such as name, age, address, contact number, etc. It allows businesses to keep a record of the customers they have and to help improve whatever services or products they offer.
CRM software is vital for companies that have a large number of customers such as airline companies, utilities, automotive dealers, etc.
Vincent Poncet, Microsoft Technical Solution Specialist for Dynamics CRM, said that Dynamics CRM can be fully customized to suit the needs of any business in many kinds of industries.
“[It is] fully customizable for different needs. [We] have templates for every kind of industry,” he said in a roundtable discussion with reporters during their launch in December.
The interface of Dynamics CRM is similar with Microsoft Office programs such as Outlook and Excel, making it easier for users who are already used to Office programs, Poncet said.
“[It is] built on top of Microsoft Office for windows so users don’t need intensive training,” he said. “If you know how to use Outlook then it’s no problem.”
Social media listening
Dynamics CRM is capable of “listening” to social media posts such as Twitter mentions, Facebook comments, or blog posts regarding a particular brand or product of a business.
Poncet said that being able to listen to social media and identify what the sentiments of netizens are regarding a product or brand will allow the business to quickly address complaints or other concerns directly from Dynamics CRM.
“[Dynamics CRM] can identify keywords and see if it is a positive tweet or a negative tweet, and analyze the sentiment,” Poncet said.
“If someone is speaking about your product you have to be able to manage [and reply appropriately],” he said.
Given the worldwide appeal of social media, Dynamics CRM has the capability to “monitor tweets in any language,” Poncet added.
The San Lorenzo Village local government in Makati was also using the program to provide services for its residents.
Aguila-Loo said that they are looking at government and especially the education sector to offer the software. They offer different pricing for both sectors, Poncet said.
Internationally, Dynamics CRM is used by Pandora clothing brand, Hitachi, Interpol Washington, and the United States Bureau of Customs, Poncet added.
Asked what particular industry is the most extensive in terms of customer management, Poncet said that telecommunications is “very complex” because of the personalized service for each customer.
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