Microsoft has partnered with global call center and customer relations management outsourcer EDS to offer Microsoft Dynamics CRM as an EDS enterprise application.
EDS will incorporate version 4.0 of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, which launched in January, into its global CRM offering, and the two companies will work together on development, marketing and sales. The agreement will be up for renewal at the end of 2009.
“Microsoft has been getting ready for the enterprise space and has made inroads and has very good traction, but it could definitely use an enterprise like EDS to get more credibility and momentum in that space,” said Alex Halikias, CRM service line leader for EDS.
“One of the key catalysts for our interest in this partnership is that we see in Dynamics a very promising application with great visibility,” he added. “It has been structured as service-oriented from the beginning, and the ability to develop additional solutions and be able to replicate basic XML templates is really good for a service provider like us.”
Microsoft will have immediate deliverability capability for the EDS system. The expanded partnership with EDS will allow clients to deploy Microsoft Dynamics CRM on-premises or off-site using EDS hosting and support.
Halikias added that the next step for the companies will be industry-specific evaluations to find growth opportunities. Key industries already identified include government, financial and manufacturing, and the initial regional focus will be in North America and Western Europe.
EDS provides consulting, implementation, integration, management hosting and contact center outsourcing, among other services. Microsoft Dynamics CRM and EDS have worked together before, creating a call management application for the UK’s Department for Work and Pensions. As a member of the EDS Agility Alliance, Microsoft provides the standard platform for EDS’ desktop and server operating systems and integrated development environments.
