Microsoft Snaps Up FieldOne To Bolster Dynamics CRM Business
Microsoft said Thursday it will acquire FieldOne Systems, a Mahwah, N.J.-based field service management solutions company, in hopes of buttressing its customer service solution offerings.
By acquiring FieldOne, Microsoft can add new service management offerings to its Dynamics CRM business to improve cloud-based engagement and predictive models.
Microsoft did not disclose the terms and conditions, including the price, of the acquisition. According to Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft, customers can begin utilizing the services added by FieldOne immediately.
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"Today’s announcement … reflects the investments we are making to deliver true systems of intelligence -- enhancing our current offerings with predictive learning and analytics to deliver an intelligent, proactive customer engagement solution," wrote Bob Stutz, corporate vice president of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, in a blog post. "With this acquisition, Microsoft can help companies tap the potential of predictive service by bringing together the powerful combination of FieldOne, Azure IoT and Cortana Analytics."
FieldOne makes customer service technology for workers in the field through its flagship product, FieldOne Sky. These cloud services include tasks such as work orders, automated routing and scheduling, inventory and business intelligence.
Microsoft Dynamics partners operate autonomously from the rest of the channel, but Microsoft partner Jack LaPan, vice president of customer engagement at Southfield, Mich.-based Apex Digital Solutions, said any cloud-based technologies that Microsoft can acquire to tap into enterprise customers will bolster the company's cloud-first mantra.
"I think it's fantastic where Microsoft is going; they are putting out some pretty impressive technologies that will help enable even smaller customers to buy solutions they typically couldn't afford," he said. "I just hope it's not putting partners in a position where we're competing against Microsoft in terms of services."
The FieldOne platform, which is built on Microsoft technology, works with Microsoft productivity offerings such as Office 365 and SharePoint, and has cross-platform capabilities as well. According to Stutz, FieldOne was "built from the ground up to leverage Dynamics CRM."
The acquisition is the latest move by Microsoft to bolster its Dynamics CRM business. In 2014, the company acquired cloud-based customer support software company Parature, which offers self-service portals and mobile customer care for sales engagement solutions. The company also revealed in June that it is moving the development teams behind its Dynamics business, which includes CRM and ERP products, to its Cloud and Enterprise group.
PUBLISHED JULY 17, 2015