Several users attending Microsoft's Convergence 2006 conference in Dallas this week said they have turned to Microsoft Dynamics CRM because of its integration with other Microsoft applications, including Dynamics ERP and Office. In addition, a half dozen users said version 3.0 corrects many of the performance, data synchronization and other problems in versions 1 and 1.2 of the Microsoft CRM software.

Global Comfort Systems plans to replace its Siebel call center application with the latest Microsoft CRM software for its integration with the other applications and its relatively lower cost, said Andrew Fralick, Information Technology Director at Global Comfort unit Webasto Product North America Inc.

Global Comfort, based in Stockdorf, Germany, expects the cost of installing Microsoft CRM to be about the same as it would be to upgrade its Siebel call center software, he said.

Fralick's own unit has been using the Microsoft CRM software for about two years through multiple versions; He called the newly installed Version 3.0 an enterprise class product.

Fralick said the Fenton, Mich. unit's sales force did suffer through the defects of earlier versions of the software. 'The [initial] product wasn't a flop. It just didn't work as billed. Now they have an excellent new version that's finally there.'