Yammer Sign In – Different Email Address in CRM Online

Microsoft Dynamics CRM December 2012 Service Update “Polaris” includes support for Yammer integration with CRM Online.  With the Yammer capabilities – you can stay up to date with the records you care about and hold conversations with your colleagues without navigating away from the work area. When you follow a record, changes to it will trigger a notification on your screen. You’ll be able to look up this information later, along with your conversations, right in the record.  For more information, see Frequently asked questions about Yammer.

Here is a good write-up on the Microsoft CRM Online Yammer setup process.

I do want to bring up a particular error message after “Log in with Yammer” that I’d encountered recently.

If you’ve received the following error message: “We have a different email address for your account than the one you used to sign in to Yammer…”:

The resolution is to ensure that your CRM Online User’s Primary E-mail OR E-mail 2 value matches exactly with your Yammer’s email login:

 

So far – I’m really liking this initial release of a top caliber Enterprise Social Networking firepower with Microsoft CRM Online and highly recommend anyone using CRM Online to check it out and begin adopting it ASAP.  Enterprise Social Networking can enable businesses to better serve their customers and run circles around their competition – check out this article.  So, don’t wait!

 

 

Frank Lee, Microsoft Dynamics CRM MVP since 2006
Workopia, Inc. – Cloud CRM Specialist

Polaris Update Notes

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM December 2012 Service Update “Polaris” for CRM Online offers a number of exciting enhancements.

If you have an existing Microsoft CRM Online organization, here is how to apply the Polaris Update.  Note: I’d highly recommend creating a CRM Online test environment to assess the impact and readiness before performing the update on your production environment – it is a smart thing to do to plan this out to minimize any surprises – especially with existing CRM Form JavaScripts.

• Login to the CRM Online Client >> Settings >> System >> Administration >> click on Product Updates

• Click on “Update”

• Click “Yes”.  Note: This update cannot be uninstalled

Note: The update process takes about 5 minutes

• After the update, need to adjust the new forms.  Here is a Write-up on migrating customizations to the new forms.

There are new forms introduced with the update.  For example – a new “Account” main form is created in the Account entity.  This new form governs the new user interface.

 

Here are some post Polaris Update notes:

What does Enable new forms really do? 

It reset the form (if more than 1 main form available) for all CRM Online users incase they had selected the classic form previously.
Note: To keep only the classic form now – update the security role for the new form and remove the security roles from using it.

 

 

What happened to my Activity Feeds managed solution? 

Activity Feeds remain – Solution merge into Base Configuration – no longer as a operational managed solution that you import into CRM.  If you have imported it prior to the update, the update process will migrate it to the base configuration automatically and will remove the imported solution.  The Activity Feeds are still there.
Note: When you install Yammer – Activity Feeds will be replaced.  Yammer effectively replaces Activity Feeds. But you may choose not to set up Yammer, and to continue to use Activity Feeds. However, eventually Yammer will replace Activity Feeds per this Yammer FAQ.

 

 

If you are encountering some errors using the CRM forms after the upgrade, even after switching back to “classic form” – check this write-up.

 

Frank Lee, Microsoft CRM MVP since 2006

Workopia, Inc. – Cloud CRM

SQL Server error – safe to ignore?

I’ve came across a few random cases of the SQL Server error while using Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online the past few weeks.  I’d seen this type of error in the past.  It seems to occur more often during major updates such as the December 2012 Service Update “Polaris” Release – which is being applied to Microsoft CRM Online organizations in the past two weeks.

SQL Server error – SQL timeout expired.

In most cases – this SQL Server error doesn’t cause any serious issues and can be ignored.  A quick refresh of the existing Dynamics CRM record and continue your CRM operation as normal should suffice.

Now if you find that this error repeats over and over again consistently – I’d recommend opening a Dynamics CRM support ticket to further trouble-shoot the issue with a Microsoft CRM Support Engineer.

 

Frank Lee, Dynamics CRM MVP since 2006
Workopia, Inc. – Dynamics CRM Online Specialist

How to enable CRM 4.0 API support in Microsoft CRM Online – HTML component HTC support – resolve errors after the December 2012 Service Update “Polaris”

Our Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online organization was updated to December 2012 Service Update “Polaris” Release last week.  One thing we immediately performed was to enable CRM 4.0 API support since our CRM customizations contain both Microsoft CRM 2011 and CRM 4.0 code.

To quickly check if the December 2012 Service Update “Polaris” update has been applied to your organization.  Go to Microsoft CRM Online Client >> File menu tab >> Help >> About Microsoft Dynamics CRM.  If the version displayed is 5.0.9690.3233 or a higher value then you have the Polaris update!

As a reference, the pre-Polaris version is 5.0.9690.2747

 

To to enable Dynamics CRM 4.0 API support in Microsoft CRM Online. 
Note: this is only valid after the December 2012 Service Update “Polaris” update has been applied.

Microsoft CRM Online Client >> Settings >> Administration >> System Settings >> Customization tab >> select to enable “Include HTC support in Microsoft Dynamics CRM forms” under the HTML component support section and then click OK:

Note:  For all Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online organizations, the default value for HTML components support is ‘off’ after the December 2012 Service Update “Polaris” is applied.  If you have any existing script that requires HTC support or if you install a new solution that depends on HTC support you must change this setting to ‘on’.

In-addition – if you have scripts that depend on Internet Explorer (IE) features no longer supported by more recent versions of Internet Explorer – uncheck the “Load pages in the most recent version of Internet Explorer” option.  Some examples of Internet Explorer features no longer supported by Internet Explorer 10 include XML data islands and Element behaviors and HTCs.

 

For more details on HTML components (HTC) Support for Internet Explorer in CRM Forms – review the “HTC Support for Internet Explorer in CRM Forms” section within this article.

 

Bottom line is that if you are experiencing CRM Online errors after the December 2012 Service Update “Polaris” and you are unsure of what the issues could be – the immediate step I’d  suggest is to enable the “Include HTC support in Microsoft Dynamics CRM forms” and disable the “Load pages in the most recent version of Internet Explorer” options.  If the issues go away then you know that your existing customizations need to be updated.  Contact me if you need help.

 

 

 

Frank Lee, Microsoft Dynamics CRM MVP since 2006

Workopia, Inc. – Microsoft CRM Online

How to tell if your Microsoft CRM Online is using LiveID or Office 365 for Authentication

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online organizations created since July of 2012 are using the Microsoft Office 365 authentication and billing platform.  This was a switch from using Microsoft LiveID since the beginning of Microsoft CRM Online in April of 2008.

However – for existing Microsoft CRM organizations created prior – they continue to be on LiveID.  See this write-up on the benefits that Microsoft Office 365 authentication brings. 

So how can you tell if your organization is using LiveID or Office 365 for authentication?

Here is a quick way to find out if your organization is on LiveID.  Navigate to your CRM User record and check for the “Windows Live ID” field:

or if you see the “Send Invitation” and “Change Microsoft account” ribbon menu item – both indicate the use of LiveID:

Note: The transition of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online to the Microsoft Online Services portal will occur in phases.  During the initial phase, which is currently underway, customers and their partners of record will be contacted by a Microsoft Transition Manger to schedule a transition date.  If you have not yet received notification from a Transition Manger, you will transition during another phase and there is nothing you need to do at this time.  Microsoft will announce more details about the next phase in the coming months – so stay tuned!

Here is a good reference:  Microsoft Dynamics CRM Transition Planning Guide for Enterprises

 

Frank Lee
Microsoft CRM MVP since 2006

How to Remove the Activity Feeds Solution from Microsoft CRM Online

Recently – I needed to setup a Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online test environment to mimic an existing Microsoft CRM Online production that didn’t have the Activity Feeds installed.  For reference – Activity Feeds solution is installed on all CRM Online organizations created since October 25th, 2011.

So how does one goes about removing Activity Feeds?

1. Delete all the Activity Feed Configurations.  CRM Online >> Settings >> System >> Activity Feeds Configuration >> select all the entries and then delete them:

2.  Perform a “Publish All Customizations”.  CRM Online >> Settings >> Customization >> Solutions >> click on “Publish All Customizations” push the step 1. above changes

3. Lastly you can now remove the “ActivityFeeds” solution.  CRM Online >> Settings >> Customization >> Solutions >> select the “ActivityFeeds” solution and click on the “Delete” button.

 

On a related note, the December 2012 Service Update “Polaris” Release will offer Yammer integration.  I think it is safe to say that Yammer will be the primary enterprise social network engine for Dynamics CRM Online and I would hold off on any further investment with the current Activity Feeds solution.

 

Frank Lee, Microsoft CRM MVP since 2006

Workopia, Inc. – Dynamics CRM Online

Dynamics CRM Roadmap: What’s Next for Microsoft CRM

Here are two excellent documents that provide details on the future roadmap for Microsoft Dynamics CRM (Statement of Direction) and on the upcoming service update “Polaris”.  Wow!!!  I love the new updated user experience!

 

• Microsoft CRM Statement of Direction (SoD) November 2012
  http://crmpublish.blob.core.windows.net/docs/CRM_SOD_November_2012_FINAL.pdf

 

• Microsoft CRM December 2012 Service Update “Polaris” Release Preview Guide
  http://crmpublish.blob.core.windows.net/docs/Release_Preview_Guide_December_2012_FINAL.pdf

 

 

Frank Lee
Microsoft Dynamics CRM MVP since 2006