Using Mobile Express for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 with Blackberry Simulator

Last year, Microsoft released Mobile Express for Dynamics CRM 4.0, a free add-on to CRM which allows almost any web-enabled device to view and update information stored in CRM.  Microsoft included a config page for customizing which allows you to specify which entities are available through the mobile UI and what fields on tse entities are available.  It's very easy to install and configure and comes with a guide that walks you through that.


The installer and documentation can be found here:  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=f592ec6c-f412-4fd5-9a80-cd3bcbd26d8b.


To get this up and running quickly:

1. Download and install the bit (no magic here)
2. Open CRM and goto Setting --> Customization --> Customize Mobile Express
3. Add any entities which you want to see on the mobile site to the "Selected Entities" and Publish them.
4. Optionally, you can double-click on any entity and define which fields you want to see in the mobile UI.  If you add/remove any fields, be sure to Publish again.
5. Append a "/m" to your home CRM server URL to see the site.  So if your server URL is http://domain.com/OrgName, then just goto http://domain.com/OrgName/m.

Don't get your expectations too high for this client, though.  It's designed to be simple but work everywhere.  You can use it on a Blackberry just as easily as an iPhone or a Droid.  If you are demonstrating this to a client or others in your business, you might want to use a Blackberry Simulator.  It shows that you don't need an advanced browser to use this site.

To use a Blackberry Simulator, do the following:

1. Download the MDS Simulator.
2. Install the MDS Simulator.
3. Download a Blackberry Simulator.  It's not terribly important which one you choose but I did have issues getting the older versions (< v4) to work with the current MDS Simulator.
4. Run the MDS Simulator first and then start the Blackberry Simulator.

The MDS Simulator is required to give your Blackberry Simulator access to the network.

** Note:  Don't use "localhost".  Instead use the IP address of your CRM server (http://10.1.15.88/MyCrmOrg/m)


You should end up with something like this ...

One gripe that I have is that Microsoft has not published the source code up on CodePlex like they did with this product for CRM 3.0.  So customization options beyond turning on/off entities and fields are very limited.

Alternative Identities

If you're wondering why I created the new identity, it stems from my desire to segment my on-air and off-air lives.  I wanted to differentiate the information that I share about Architecture, Dynamics CRM, and SharePoint with the information that I share about climbing Mt Everest, Kite Boarding in Maui, and researching alternative energy sources (at least, I would want to if I had actually done any of those things).

So here begins my quest to be two people at once.