Advice on to BCM or not to BCM?

[Boe]

Hello,

I have a client who wants to set up an exchange server. They only have
about 5 users who need additional capabilities like BCM but all 5 HAVE to
have OWA access to their basic client info and HAVE to have it sync with
their WM5 phones.

They don't need the extended contact info on the road but they want it at
the office. This is about the tenth client I have with this goal but this
client wants a solution by the end of the week so I've never purchased any
products in the past although I've posted my concerns here in the past.

Some people mentioned products that would sync between BCM and with their
regular outlook contacts. Some mentioned the MS CRM product (Does this do
all the the things and integrate with Exchange OWA and WM5 as well as work
on SBS?)

Lots of questions I realize but I'm out of time.

Is there a NON MS CRM product you would recommend instead that syncs with
Outlook in such a way that you could access it via OWA and WM5?


Thanks again.

 

[Luther]

You are out of luck in the Exchange/OWA with BCM department. The way I
understand it, not enough small businesses use Exchange for BCM to make
OWA support a feature.

There are rumors of WM5 support in BCM v3, but I didn't see it in the
last beta.

There are also rumors of bcm.office.live.com (or some such) which may
be able to sync office (as in: at the home office) with road warriors.

 

[Boe]

Yeah - BCM is like a bowling ball with 1 hole - so close to being
funtional - weight, shape, and enough to get you to reach for it but then
when you pick it up - it falls - effectively serving no purpose. (full of
sound and fury, signifying nothing) Any add on products that you would
recommend that could make it functional?

 

[mrtimpeterson via OfficeKB.com]

Boe,

There are some very inexpensive hosted Exchange options available that could
be employed for your client if they did not want to go to the expense of
doing it in-house.

The "bowling balls" below have all the holes needed and are are some very
workable alternatives to explore and consider:

http://www.outlookwise.com/Products/MXContact/index.htm

http://www.teamscope.com/

http://www.salesoutlook.net/

http://www.avidian.com/

-THP

 

[Boe]

Thanks very much! I started skimming through these. They seem very nice -
although the first three seem to put it in Public folders which I think
would be an issue syncing with WM5 (of course I could be wrong). I was
hoping there might be a 3rd party tool that just syncs critical data between
standard contacts and their BCM contact data? That way they get the great
tracking features of BCM like in Act etc but with the OWA and WM5 access
they need?

Thanks again!

 

[mrtimpeterson via OfficeKB.com]

Boe,

Your public folders will synch into your personal folders (Contacts, Calendar,
Tasks, Notes) and this makes them completely synchable to your WM5 device.
Also, the MX Contact app allows you to use either Exchange, a SQL database,
or both together. MX Contact also can be used with a hosted Exchange service.
They have a well written white paper on how this works. Dig around among the
many links and demos they provide and I think this option will liberate much
of your frustration over BCM's limitations.

-THP

Thanks very much! I started skimming through these. They seem very nice -
although the first three seem to put it in Public folders which I think
would be an issue syncing with WM5 (of course I could be wrong). I was
hoping there might be a 3rd party tool that just syncs critical data between
standard contacts and their BCM contact data? That way they get the great
tracking features of BCM like in Act etc but with the OWA and WM5 access
they need?

Thanks again!

Boe,

[quoted text clipped - 39 lines]

 

[Chris Schatte]

Too add,
If you are signed up (or want to) for the Office Live beta and would like to
have the options mentioned by Luther for BCM:
http://ideas.live.com/programpage.aspx?versionId=27e3516e-ba5e-4e7c-b601-056c69f85cad
There is some current integration if using BCM and SBA 2006 sp2.
Office Live Team blog:
http://spaces.msn.com/OfficeLiveBlog/PersonalSpace.aspx?vv=400
As of today, tester comments have been turned on.

Chris Schatte
--
use the Office Online web based newsreader here:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx
In Office System 2003 applications:
Help/Assistance Pane/Communities
SBA Spotlight

Boe,

Your public folders will synch into your personal folders (Contacts, Calendar,
Tasks, Notes) and this makes them completely synchable to your WM5 device.
Also, the MX Contact app allows you to use either Exchange, a SQL database,
or both together. MX Contact also can be used with a hosted Exchange service.
They have a well written white paper on how this works. Dig around among the
many links and demos they provide and I think this option will liberate much
of your frustration over BCM's limitations.

-THP

Thanks very much! I started skimming through these. They seem very nice -
although the first three seem to put it in Public folders which I think
would be an issue syncing with WM5 (of course I could be wrong). I was
hoping there might be a 3rd party tool that just syncs critical data between
standard contacts and their BCM contact data? That way they get the great
tracking features of BCM like in Act etc but with the OWA and WM5 access
they need?

Thanks again!

Boe,

[quoted text clipped - 39 lines]

Thanks again.