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Microsoft Integrating Dynamics 365 and LinkedIn, Shares Roadmap Plans

• By Gladys Rama
• April 24, 2017

Microsoft on Monday announced some new features and components in its Dynamics 365 CRM/ERP application suite, including integration with LinkedIn.

The integration will allow the Dynamics 365 Sales app to mine data from LinkedIn's Sales Navigator solution, in addition to data from the social network's pool of 500 million registered users in 200 countries, explained Scott Guthrie, head of Microsoft's Cloud and Enterprise Group, in a blog post.

The LinkedIn integration "will dramatically increase the effectiveness of salespeople by tapping into their professional networks and relationships," Guthrie said. For example, salespeople will be able to tailor their marketing content and customer introductions based on current information from their contacts' LinkedIn profiles.

Executives from both companies have been touting the integration of LinkedIn and Dynamics 365 as one of the benefits of Microsoft's acquisition of the social network since the deal was announced in mid-2016.

The integrated solutions will take the form of a new offering called "Sales Navigator with Dynamics 365," which will be available to purchase in July. Pricing will start at $135 per user per month.

In a separate post, Doug Camplejohn, head of products within LinkedIn's Sales Solutions group, described what the integration would entail for the two companies' solutions:

• Displaying Sales Navigator person and company information on every Dynamics lead, contact, account and opportunity page.
• Daily updates between systems so the accounts and contacts sales reps are actively working on in Dynamics 365 are automatically saved to Sales Navigator. In addition, sales reps can see in Sales Navigator what people and companies are already saved in Dynamics, and vice-versa.  
• With a single click, the ability to write select Sales Navigator activities (InMails, messages, notes and call logs) to Dynamics 365.

New Apps for HR and Retail
Microsoft also announced two new standalone Dynamics 365 apps on Monday: Dynamics 365 for Retail and Dynamics 365 for Talent.

Microsoft is touting the Retail application as a cloud-based service that gives retailers an end-to-end platform to manage their operations, from customer engagement, to point-of-sale, to product returns.

The upcoming Talent app, meanwhile, is geared toward human resources departments looking for a single workforce management platform. Dynamics 365 for Talent provides tools for recruitment, onboarding and retention. It also integrates with LinkedIn and the LinkedIn Recruiter tool to give interviewers and headhunters a more complete picture of prospective employees.

Both the Talent and Retail apps are expected to launch in July.

Sales and Marketing Apps for Business
Microsoft will preview new Sales and Marketing apps for the Business edition of Dynamics 365, which is aimed at companies with under 250 users, starting on July 1, Guthrie said.

To date, the Sales and Marketing components have been missing in action for the Business edition, though they are already available for the Enterprise version.