Lotos Notes / Dynamics CRM 2011 Integration

Topic: Dynamics CRM Integration
Sub-Topic: Lotos Notes / Dynamics CRM 2011 Integration
How to get Lotos Notes working properly with Dynamics CRM 2011.

Due to an customer how has issues with his CRM 2011 Integration to Lotos Notes we compare today all known methods to integrate Dynamics CRM 2011 with Lotos Notes.

Therefore we take an look on 2x Mail Integration Options (Option 1+2) and
2x Third Parties for Dynamics CRM 2011 (Option 4+5) which are integration a lot more that only Email like the Default Dynamics CRM 2011 Client for Outlook.

If you have questions or if you need support with your Dynamics CRM System and/or Lotos Notes Integration to Dynamics CRM, please feel free to contact us via Email info@dynamicsconsulting.de or via phone under +49 40 30 698 77 0.

Option 1: Default Email Integration only with POP3/SMTP with Lotos Notes

Only open mail connection protocol note offers is POP3/SMTP. In order to get Incoming Emails promoted to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 we need to configure the Email Router Incoming Profile as POP3.
If we only monitoring 1x Mailbox it is an easy thing, but if it is coming up to a big amount of user mailboxes we will get an Issue with Performance and also with updateing the User Credentials (Passwords) after they expired in the Customer Active Directory. This issue can we solved with Option 2.
Steps for POP3 E-mail Server Type

a.       In the E-mail Server Type list, click POP3.

b.      The Authentication Type list requires that you specify the authentication that is used to connect to the POP3 account. If your POP3 account resides with your ISP, you must contact the ISP to provide the authentication type that is needed to access this account.

c.       In the Server open text box, you type the POP3 server name and domain. For example, type POP3servername.domain.com.  If the POP3 account resides with an ISP, you must contact the ISP to provide the server name.
 Note: You may find this information in the account properties of the e-mail account located within Microsoft Outlook.

d.      In the Access Credentials list, available options include User Specified or Other Specified.
If you select User Specified in the Access Credentials list, each user must perform one additional configuration step to grant the e-mail router access to the POP3 mailbox. To do this, follow these steps:

Source: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=21445
Section: Steps for POP3 E-mail Server Type

Option 2: Advanved Email Integration with Exchange/Lotos Notes

As a lot of companies are providing Hosted Exchange Services today, we have an other advanced opportunity to get Emails from many Lotos Notes (Main Message System Customer) Mailboxes into Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 using the Forward Mailbox (Sink Mailbox).

The Forward Mailbox

Advantages

·         Reduces the number of incoming profiles that must be created and managed for organizations that  monitor a large number of user’s mailboxes.

·         One central mailbox to monitor.

 

Disadvantages

·         E-mail provider must have the ability to forward as an attachment. This is required to forward e-mails to a central mailbox that is monitored by the Microsoft Dynamics CRM E-mail Router.

·         A mailbox rule must be deployed to each user to forward e-mails to the central mailbox.

Source: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=21445
Section: Steps for POP3 E-mail Server Type

The disadvantages are listing the limitations from nots here.

Solution:

• Forwarding an copy to the sink mailbox via Lotus Note rule cannot work as the email router is expecting an "Attachment as msg"
  
• Only way which will work is to send an copy of each original email  (correct header, same sender and receiver) from Lotus Notes to an exchange mailbox (hosted/ or Exchange Online) and forward all emails  as attachment to the sink mailbox (hosted/ or Exchange Online). The Email Router is tracking all incoming traffic out of the sink mailbox to CRM. This way we met the  requirements of the email router and it is proper working for an big enterprise customer with lotus notes and Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
  
  Additional benifit here: The CRM Operations Team has only to monitor the sink mailbox, here. If the amount of email grow, they know they have an issue. If special email stay in sink mailbox (can´t be track for some reasons), they will be identified quickly.

Option 3: LinkPoint Connect. LinkPoint Connect seamlessly integrates any of these products:
Microsoft Outlook, Lotos Notes, Novel Groupwise with the CRM Systems ACT!, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, salesforce.com, sage, Sales Logix, and Privotal CRM
Micrtosoft Dynamics CRM Related features:

Streamline your work day with seamless integration between Lotus Notes and Microsoft CRM.
Productivity Feature

Record inbound/Outbound emails to Microsoft CRM  

Create Tasks or Appointments when recording Emails

Jump right to a record in Microsoft CRM from your email

Drag and drop to create contacts or leads in Microsoft CRM

Create new records in Microsoft CRM from Lotus Notes

Click-to-dial calling using VOIP from Lotus Notes

Get maps and driving directions to your customers
Compatibility.

Lotus Notes Versions 6.x, 7.x, 8.x (Basic & Standard Editions)

Microsoft CRM Editions

• Version 4 Online / On-Premise
• CRM 2011 Online / On-Premise

Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 (32 & 64 bit)

Citrix and Terminal Server Environments

Source: http://www.linkpoint360.com/products/linkpoint-connect-dynamics-notes-edition/

Option 4: Lotos Note Connector for Microsoft Dynamics from IEnterprisesThe Lotus Notes Connector for Microsoft Dynamics is an easy to use tool that allows you to instantly synchronize all your Lotus Notes email and calendaring to and from your existing Microsoft Dynamics system. The wizard-driven tool can be quickly installed with a click and download so you can trial it for free before purchase.

Email integration– Copy both inbound and outbound emails and attachments to Microsoft Dynamics in a single click using email caller ID.
Link Emails with Contacts, Companies, Project or Cases
Select To: CC: and BCC: addresses directly from Microsoft Dynamics
Display the contact phone number and other important information in Lotus NotesChoose which contacts and emails get synchronized

Calendar Integration – Copy any Lotus Notes Calendar entry to Microsoft Dynamics.
Link calendar items with Contacts, Companies, Project or Cases.
Display the contact phone number and other important information in Lotus Notes
Manage your calendar within Lotus Notes and have it automatically synchronize with Microsoft Dynamics

Task (To Do) Integration – Copy any Lotus Notes Tasks to Microsoft Dynamics.
Link tasks with Contacts, Companies, Project or Cases.
Display the contact phone number and other important information in Lotus Notes
Manage your tasks within Lotus Notes and have it automatically synchronize with Microsoft Dynamics

Personal Address Book Integration – Copy any Microsoft Dynamics contact to the Lotus Notes Personal Address book.
Available directly from email – Easily copy Microsoft Dynamics contacts to the Lotus Notes Personal Address Book from an email message.
Use Native Lotus Notes Email Addressing to send Emails to Microsoft Dynamics contacts.

Source: http://www.ienterprises.com/lotus-notes-microsoft-dynamics-crm-integration

If you have questions or if you need support with your Dynamics CRM System and/or Lotos Notes Integration to Dynamics CRM, please feel free to contact us via Email info@dynamicsconsulting.de or via phone under +49 40 30 698 77 0.