Update Rollup 7 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011

Update Rollup 7 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 is now available. For online customers, Update Rollup 7 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 will be applied to production servers in early April 2012.

Some salient points from the announcement are listed below:

Feature addition
Update Rollup 7 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 introduces a new feature that is called Read Optimized Forms. By using this feature, an organization can let users decide whether they want to view records using a form that is optimized to load quickly. The read-optimized form improves productivity for users who primarily consume data instead of editing records. It also helps prevent users from unintentional editing field values.

Dynamics CRM 2011 R9 update

By now most of us with knowledge of the roadmap know the details of the R8 update coming in Q2 2012. The key new capabilities are under the following basic categories: Mobility, Browser flexibility, Enhanced Social capabilities, Industry Solution Templates, SQL Server 2012 and Certifications.

For more details, you can read the Release Preview Guide from the Microsoft Dynamics CRM website below:
http://crmpublish.blob.core.windows.net/docs/ReleasePreviewGuide.pdf


I was reading this interesting article in zdnet that goes a bit further than R8 and actually starts speculating on what might be available in the R9 release later this year.

Here is the link to the article:
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/whats-on-tap-for-microsofts-dynamics-crm-r9-update-later-this-year/11975

Getting related record from a lookup and displaying it as a link in CRM 2011 with OData/JSON

Lookups provide a way to associate a record with a related value. The simplest example is showing the primary contact in the account form. Keeping with this example, what if I want a record in the primary contact to show up in the account form, and be able to open up the record form on clicking the field?

The business case I am going to focus on deals with showing the primary contacts preferred service in the accounts form. I am thus able to view the service record without having to open up the contact form and click on the service lookup.