Why did Microsoft partner with Salesforce?

Expect the unExpected

When Microsoft teamed up with Salesforce last year it prompted shock and a few grumbles from the Microsoft Dynamics community.

Microsoft makes money selling non crm services and products

• Windows
• Microsoft Office
• Azure
• Cloud infrastructure
• Other products

Microsoft Dynamics CRM resellers were frustrated because one of the key advantages Microsoft Dynamics CRM had over Salesforce was its integration with Microsoft products.

The CRM community questioned if the Salesforce partnership would lose Microsoft CRM deals to competing bids from Salesforce?

The first reaction is often an over reaction and Microsoft CRM resellers didn’t lose bids to their Salesforce counterparts en masse after the partnership (integration will take time from Salesforce).  I doubt the key reasons for choosing Microsoft Dynamics CRM as the technology to deliver a project wasn’t due to it’s integration with Microsoft Office.

Why do companies win bids?

What are the key ingredients to a winning bid?

• People
• connecting with the customer and understanding their problems and requirements
• Vision
• Experience
• vertical or industry solutions

Competing bids using different technologies are usually close with different strengths and weaknesses.  The key differentiator is the company, people and how well they connect with the customer.

Consider the most common cause of failure of projects isn’t the technology used but the people and the working relationship.

Conclusion:

Instead of focusing on competing with Saleforces, Microsoft is focusing on improving the applications which can integrate with Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Azure services which can be consumed by CRM.

Note: Refered from https://crmbusiness.wordpress.com/2016/01/19/why-did-microsoft-partner-with-salesforce/