There looks to be a lot of news buzzing around within the last 24 hours in regards to Microsoft’s new CRM 3.0. Microsoft is an interesting company to watch, especially in the way that it markets its products and itself. Interestingly, most of the news is generated from third parties that cooperate with Microsoft in distributing, supporting and installing their software.

My advice would be to be cautious. I’ve noticed that Microsoft is very agressive in marketing. I can’t remember a product that they have put their name to that they have let speak for itself. I would say that this is the case because a lot of the software they generate cannot speak for itself. It requires plenty of marketing dollars to be spent telling us all how useful and popular it is.

In regards to Microsoft CRM 3.0, look closely, does it stack up to everything the marketing says it is? Assess the software for the REAL benefits, not just because it’s a Microsoft product, not because the nice consulting company recommended it, and not because it has its claws in a bunch of other Microsoft products. Will the software be easy to use for my staff who are not so crash hot on the computers? Would I be able to use the software? Do I need this consulting company to babysit my installation, and how much is that going to cost me? How long will my company be tied to this and am I willing to commit that much to it?

Don’t just look at it as a money decision, there could be other packages available which are a better fit for your business. They may cost more upfront, but they may be more beneficial and reap better returns in the long run.

Not totally CRM related, but my company has just released an online store for electronic gadgets including digital cameras, PDAs and MP3 players. For the technically literate people out there, it was developed in Ruby on Rails a fantastic web application framework which could host a fantastic CRM system one day.

Take a look: Go Go Gadget - digital cameras, PDAs, MP3 players