Microsoft Dynamics 365 – Updates for July 2017

Microsoft has released news of a number of Dynamics 365 updates due for July 2017
Main updates include the launch of:

• a unified user interface
• virtual entities.
• a customer insights experience

Microsoft will also no longer refer to customer relationship management as ‘CRM’ – it is to be known as Dynamics Customer Engagement – or to ‘ERP’ when referencing enterprise resource planning.

Unified user Interface

Presenting a unified, consistent appearance across phone, tablet, desktop computer and via browser, the new user interface – seemingly designed with Microsoft’s mobile-first strategy in mind – appears more streamlined than the previous interface and, it’s been suggested, will perhaps bring to mind the Salesforce CRM.

Features include:

The interface will also incorporate an activity timeline with inline actions and custom controls, plus enhanced offline mobile features – micro apps, for example, will enable administrators to undertake defined roles. There’s potential for enhanced optimisation, mobile layout support has been revamped, and the look in general is fresher.

Virtual Entities

Few details have been released, but virtual entities will enable data from external systems to be integrated into the interface, presented via Grids, Find, Forms, Lookups and Sub-grids.

Other Announcements

A new customer Service Hub will supplant the Interactive Service Hub, and Microsoft Flows will be integrated into the new user interface, with Flows enabled to start from within Dynamics 365.

In addition: it will be possible to define App Url suffixes within App Designer; Timeline control will take the place of the Activity Wall web resource; enhancements to Live Assist will incorporate Bring Your Own Bot; and customers can expect a better editor for HTML emails and Knowledge Base articles.

There has been no announcement about any change to Workflow Designer.

Microsoft Inspire

It’s expected that further announcements will come following Microsoft’s flagship partner event, Inspire in Washington DC, 9-13 July – we’ll keep you updated!