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Cortana Integration Coming to Dynamics CRM 2015

Microsoft turned the spotlight on the next versions of Dynamics CRM and Dynamics AX during Tuesday's kickoff of its Convergence Europe conference.

Dynamics CRM 2015, previously code-named "Vega," will become generally available in December, Microsoft announced. The new release will affect both the on-premises version and the hosted Dynamics CRM Online product.

Microsoft first described Dynamics CRM 2015 in September, indicating that it will feature improvements to sales functions, as well as updates to the Social Listening and Dynamics Marketing tools. On Tuesday, Microsoft revealed that Dynamics CRM 2015 will also feature integration with "Cortana," Microsoft's voice-activated personal assistant technology that debuted this year on Windows Phone 8.1 devices. The integration will let Dynamics CRM 2015 users perform some tasks like scheduling meetings and searching through contacts using voice commands.

Microsoft is also adding over two dozen new templates in Dynamics CRM 2015 for industries that include manufacturing, financial, retail and public sector. A full list of upcoming templates is available in this post on the Dynamics blog, which also provides download links for existing templates that can be used with the current Dynamics CRM 2013 version. The new templates will be available for download from the Microsoft Pinpoint portal.

Also arriving in December will be a new update to Dynamics AX. That release will be delivered as a cumulative update (CU8) to Dynamics AX 2012 R3, according to a Microsoft spokesperson. It will enable integration with Microsoft Azure to "create a full end-to-end cloud solution," Microsoft said in its announcement, adding, "It enables companies to run hybrid environments with an optimal mix of development, test and production instances."

The update will also include a new point-of-sale mobile client for Windows devices, as well as improvements to transportation and warehouse operations.

About the Author

Gladys Rama (@GladysRama3) is the editorial director of Converge360.

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