Microsoft CRM 3.0 on Citrix Presentation Server 4.0

This might be interesting to those folks out there that run CRM 3.0 with Citrix or are getting ready to. Microsoft has released a paper on Microsoft CRM 3.0 on Citrix Presentation Server 4.0.

In a larger arena I'm sure this will be used quite a bit.

SBS NTFS Partition Resize Utility

Recently I've had a couple of clients outgrow their OEM'd system partition (C:) on SBS 2003. Please Dell don't put out anymore 8-10GB partitions. It's just not enough anymore.

I had hoped that a free utility called qtparted on the Linux bootable CD Knoppix would have done the trick. However too often it couldn't recognize either the SCSI drive or the partitions.

Based on the input from Les Connor an SBS MVP in the newsgroups who uses Paragon products, I thought I'd give Paragon Partition Manager 7.0 Server edition a try. I won't look back. The link above goes to the tech license where for $299 a tech you can partition an UNLIMITED amount of drives/servers. Well worth it. The tool works and can invoke on reboot to downsize partitions and dynamically without reboot increase partitions. Make sure you get the Server edition.

I won't be caught dead without it anymore. It's simple and just plain works.

Oh yeah the usual: Microsoft doesn't support partition resizing tools. :)

Added Search Capability

Due to some responses I've added a Google search engine to the front page of the blog. I hope it helps you find what you need!

Are You Ready for Push Email?

Well it sure looks like Push Email from Microsoft is on the way and it's really close. This week HP officially announced the hw6900 iPaq which will include the new Microsoft Windows Mobile 5 Messaging and Security Feature Pack (MSFP) that will allow push email from a Small Business Server installed with Exchange 2003 Service Pack 2.

I've tested a couple of devices and all I can tell you is wow, cool! Will the hw6900 be the first in the US to have the functionality? It sure appears that way what with the way the US carriers drag their feet to get new mobile products here. At any rate it appears that several will arrive before June 06.

With the hw6900 having the push email and integrated GPRS I might have to drop my currently lovable iMate k-Jam for that unless I get a free upgrade to my phone from iMate. Another thing that does look good on the hw6900 is the ability to do one touch dialing on the phone. It just doesn't happen very easily on my current k-Jam. I know this is the reason the Treo 700W has been such a big seller. Add in push email and RIM/Blackberry will definitely have a hard time keeping up.

One other thing to remember is that the MSFP doesn't just give you the ability to get push email but the Security part is being able to remote wipe the device. And all I can say is yep it sure works good. Being able to remotely wipe a device 30 seconds after you find it has turned up missing will definitely ease the security conscious CEO's out there that know that their data is their business and having it in other people's hands isn't what you want.

UPDATE: Looks like this phone will indeed be the first in the US with the MSFP and it will be released in April according to reports out of Redmond. Can you wait?

Microsoft denies SugarCRM dilutes Dynamics CRM

I had heard a little bit about this but definitely it's causing more than a few waves. Computer Business Review published a little article about how Microsoft is helping with integration of SugarCRM on the Windows Platform.

To me this is actually pretty smart of Microsoft. Getting other line of business apps onto the Microsoft platform will always help their cause even if it is open source.

I've used both Microsoft CRM and SugarCRM (it's included with the Asterisk Open Source VoIP Server we rollout) and I can tell you that although SugarCRM is pretty robust it still lacks from the integration features that make Microsoft CRM so nice and especially so with the 3.0 version.

Having said that however, there still is problems with CRM getting rolled out on the Windows Plaform. Integration problems still seem to be a plenty. If CRM, Microsoft's own product has problems, SugarCRM will definitely continue to have problems for a while.

w3wp.exe error and CRM 3.0

We have a client that recently was experiencing errors that would lock out anyone from accessing the SBS Server. They recently installed CRM 3.0 SBE and now were getting an error that would pop up and mention the process w3wp.exe.

Here's the recommendation initially from Microsoft:
Ensure the path c:\Porgam Files\Common files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server
Extensions\60 is added in the Excluded path of the Antivirus Settings.

Also:Enable IIS Worker Process from the Data Execution Prevention settings.
Go to My Computer -- > Advanced --> Performance -- >Settings -- > Data Execution
Prevention --> 2nd radio button ( Turn on DEP for all programs and services
except those I select) -- > Add W3WP.EXE process in exception list (no need
for reboot). (the w3wp.exe process is in c:\systemroot\system32\inetpub

We followed the above and we'll let you know how we come out on it.

CRN on R2 Midmarket Bundle

Just reading an article over at CRN on the Windows 2003 Server Midmarket Offering Available. There seems to be a lot of talk around the new Centro product that Microsoft has announced but I can honestly say that not as much push has been generated around this midmarket bundle at all.

We just haven't seen the push for it. Perhaps it will take a hold later on as R2 gets more steam but right now SBS sure blows it out of the water for publicity and notoriety. Perhaps that's also due to the fact that SBS sized businesses far outnumber Midmarket offerings. I agree with Jason Harrison in the article. There is just a mindset difference when a company gets to be 50-250 desktops.

They aren't looking for as much value anymore as a rock solid IT infrastructure. They usually have a budget and IT staff where a SBS sized biz does not. And as a result while dollars are important they aren't the end all be all of their IT infrastructure. These M'ers have usually a line of business or financial app that is already running on their own server with specific requirements. Their motto is "whatever it takes to keep us up and going with that app". So the midmarket bundle just might not be want they desire.

Still it's a great deal and one that you have to take a look at.