As the IT Manager, Systems Engineering Manager or IT Co-ordinator (many other job roles apply here) your main focus on deciding which CRM system to go with, will be security. Asking the question, “Can I wholeheartedly recommend this product as being 100% secure?” The other question that will be pretty high on the list will be integration: will it be a nightmare to implement and integrate with the existing systems? Alternatively, you might just be asking “will this make my life easier?”
Customer data is extremely sensitive and data security is a hot topic, one that certainly Microsoft haven’t been remiss in when developing Dynamics 365. Their commitment to security is high, they announced last year a quadrupling of their investment into cybersecurity, to a total of $20billion.*
Dynamics 365 is a cloud-based system that is hosted on Azure which has a wide array of security tools and capabilities. All data that is sent over Azure is encrypted, it is a robust framework which will avoid security leaks or attacks. Azure’s secure network also has built-in mechanisms to protect against distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.
In addition to the data security and integrity features, Dynamics 365 gives well-defined security roles and access controls, enabling managers to determine which team member can access what data, therefore customising the differing requirements of both teams and individuals within the company. To find out more about this, take a look at a video we created that covers basic security features.
Aside from the security aspect, the other main feature you’ll be delving into is how Dynamics integrates with other technologies. Because of the nature of the Microsoft technology, it has been developed to integrate with all other Microsoft solutions, making it easy to implement and for the team to navigate and incorporate into their working practices. It will also seamlessly integrate with a host of third-party applications such as web portals, BI applications and ERP systems, enabling you to leverage your current tools and resources. The ability for this solution to integrate with both existing systems and other external technology makes it a powerful solution for you to consider.
Dynamics 365 is continuously evolving. Never one to sit on their laurels, Microsoft refine their offering with two release ‘waves’ a year. Information about what will be included in the forthcoming release is provided to keep interested parties in the loop and so that preparation can be made if relevant. These waves work in a couple of ways, giving a high level indication of where Microsoft see the solution evolving – which at present is into more intelligent and cognitive services – and also providing more granular information about which features are being updated and how.
* CNBC
If you’d like to find out more about Dynamics 365 and how we can help you, or would like to book a demo, then please get in touch.
