BCM with SBS2003

[Guest]

I have a client that uses BCM with their POP ISP at the moment. I am looking
at installing SBS2003 for them and with that the BCM add on for SBS2003.

What they expect to achieve is a common (shared) database for their
businesses contacts such that all dealings with clients by all employees will
be tracked centrally by BCM. Is their expectation correct?

I have it from other sources that even with SBS2003 they will still have
individual databases.

I'm getting confusing messages and need to be set straight here.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

No, their expectation is not correct. BCM is a single-user program with no
sharing capability in the current version. SBS2003 -- either through
Exchange or Windows SharePoint Services -- will give them some nice sharing
capabilities, but they won't involve BCM.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Sue,

This is the sort of definative answer I've been looking for.

Now I just need to deflate the clients expectations. I'm looking at what the
CRM product may offer but the license and integration costs look like they
will be dificult to justify given that they are a four user sales office.
The sharing capabilities of native outlook-exchange are good but I don't see
that it can give them the level of client relationship tracking that they
were dreaming of.

Svend.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Given that you already have the commitment to SBS2003, you might want to
look at some of the other CRM products with Outlook+Exchange+SQL Server
integration. I haven't kept up with the latest versions, but there's a long
list available at http://www.slipstick.com/addins/contact_management.htm

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers