Comparing SalesForce with MicroSoft Dynamics xRM

	MicroSoft Dynamics (xRM)	SalesForce.com (SF)
Design	* offers more options during entity creation* to make changes to a field, it has to be deleted then recreated and if there are forms/views with that field, such dependencies have to be deleted first	* easier to create entities (objects)* fields can be changed/deleted and all the related forms are automatically updated * Master-Detail relationships include cascaded deletes and detail roll-ups (sum, count, average, etc) but M-D relationships can’t be chained, which results in having to implement them as Lookups and lose the benefit of summarization offered by Master-Relationships
Data Manipulation	* smarter data import tool with lookup of foreign keys by ID or description* doesn’t have the UpSert function (update existing records and insert new ones) that SalesForce has * uses SQL Server	* smart data import (lookup of foreign keys)* requires external tool and has the little quirk of having to use UpSert instead of Insert * the UpSert function updates existing records and insert new ones in one run * the SF query language (SOQL) has limitations
Infrastructure	* can be hosted on premises* no Governor limits if hosted in house * on premises installation/configuration takes a long time	* there is no option to host SF on premises* subject to Apex Governor Limits because SF is a multi-tenant platform * automatic upgrades twice a year, each release with a lot of new features
Bugs	* error messages popup often although requiring only a retry from the same screen without closing/reopening	* no bugs found
Speed	* slow, not very responsive	* very responsive
Usability	* the user interface is familiar to MS Office users but it is very busy * can be embedded in Outlook * integrated with Sharepoint * very basic/light-weight mobile web app (will likely require 3rd party for mobile access)	* offers a much cleaner/simpler interface* all users like it * Outlook and Sharepoint integration requires a lot more effort * SF is mobile ready
Customization /Programming	* .net:  Visual Studio, C#, VB* seems very flexible	* requires unit tests to publish triggers and classes* default filter screens can be customized only to a certain degree and beyond the basics, it requires coding * requires creation of report types, then reports that use them * Apex is very similar to Java and C# * subject to Apex Governor Limits * limited deployments to Production in a given period as per the contracted level of service
Workflows	* offers more types of process steps and seems more cohesive than SF	* there are 2 types:  approval process (triggered by the user) and workflow (triggered when a record changes in a specific way)
Forward thinking considerations	* MS is one of the world’s largest R&D spenders	* clearly the leader in CRM * SF spends 8% of revenue in R&D while (2008 data) and 5x as much in sales and marketing * SF buys many other companies and integrate their proven technologies into the platform * customer base is very large * the company leader is a visionary
Cost	* measured roughly 1/3 to 1/2 of SF’s cost in 1, 3 and 10 years for a high number of users* can be paid monthly	* entry price is cheaper (Group edition with 5 users)* annual upfront payment

The above is based on my experience with a proof of concept application and online research. Feel free to comment and add your corrections or a different point of view.

Pertinent links:

– MS Dynamics 2011 vs salesforce.com
– Developer frustration
– MicroSoft Dynamics CRM vs SalesForce – How do you choose?
– Microsoft Dynamics CRM vs. Salesforce.com vs. Microsoft Office Business Contact Manager
– Comparing Microsoft Dynamics CRM To Salesforce
– MicroSoft Dynamics CRM vs SalesForce (MS partner)
– Evaluating Software Vendors (from a MS shop)
– Microsoft Dynamics CRM: Much More Than Meets the Eye – Part 2 and Part 3
– Salesforce vs. Microsoft CRM: Relationship Management Applications
– Why We Chose to Work with Salesforce.com