D365 – Development History

This is solely my personal opinion. If there are any immature aspects, feel free to discuss and provide corrections.

From the time I graduated from school, I have been working on projects related to MS Dynamics CRM, but it seems that I have never taken the time to understand its development and version updates. So… today, I decided to explore it and document the journey.

History

Microsoft CRM 1.0

2001
Some articles state that version 1.0 was released in 2003, which is indeed true. However, there were early products and projects related to Microsoft CRM in 2001, hence I record it as 2001.

Released in January 2003. Other mature CRM systems like Siebel and Goldmine were in the market. This version had basic sales and service modules. Custom fields could be created, and JavaScript code could be added to extend existing entities.

Microsoft CRM 2.0

Version 2.0 was never released; instead, version 3.0 was directly released in 2005.

Dynamics CRM 3.0

December 2005
Microsoft CRM was renamed Dynamics CRM. This version enhanced the Marketing module, added more customization options and integration capabilities, and started supporting more complex business processes. Modules at this time included: Sales, Service, Marketing.

• Dynamics CRM
  • Sales
  • Service
  • Marketing

Dynamics CRM 4.0

2007
Starting from this version, it entered the so-called “XRM era.” This should be a key turning point as it introduced more powerful customization and extension capabilities. Users were not limited to just customer relationship management; they could manage other types of relationships as well. New features:

• The proprietary workflow system of CRM 3.0 was replaced by Workflow.
• The Online version was first launched in North America (available only in North America).

Dynamics CRM 2011

2011
From this version onwards, it entered the so-called “XRM era.” This should be a key turning point as it introduced more powerful customization and extension capabilities. Users were not limited to just customer relationship management; they could manage other types of relationships as well. New features:

• Managed/unmanaged solutions.
• Live entities.
• Forms could be controlled for visibility based on security roles.
• Users could customize their own charts and dashboards to visualize data.
• Introduced “dialogue form” to guide users, which is the classic UI popup guide that appears when logging into the system each time.
• Introduced Web resources.

Dynamics CRM 2013

2013
A fresh look was adopted with a new UX design (using a “flat” style) and a new navigation bar.

• Business rules.
• Workflows.
• Auto-save.
• Released new mobile applications.
• Enhanced reporting tools to support more complex data analysis and visualization.
• Introduced server-side synchronization to allow syncing emails, activities, and contacts in Outlook when Outlook is not running.

Dynamics CRM 2015

2015
Fine upgrades.

Dynamics CRM 2016

2016
Also known as v8.0. Simultaneously, the Power Platform was born, which is now known as Dynamics 365 (v8.1). New features:

• Introduced Word and Excel templates.
• Integration of ERP and CRM functionalities.
• Released Power Platform (Power BI, Power Automate, and Power Apps).
• Dynamics CRM App for Outlook: Improved integration of Outlook with Dynamics CRM, allowing users to access and manage CRM data directly in Outlook.
• Integrated Azure and Cortana Intelligence.

Dynamics 365 v8.2

2017
In this year, v8.2 renamed Dynamics CRM to Customer Engagement (CE) (another quirky renaming); additionally, ERP products were renamed to Finance and Operations (FinOps).

• Multi-select option sets.
• Virtual entities.
• Integration with LinkedIn Sales Navigator (may not be strongly experienced in China).
• Support for hybrid deployments.

Dynamics 365 v9.0

2018
It is said that 2018 was an important year for the development of the Power Platform: running Flows directly in D365 was possible. Also, a “continuous deployment cycle” was introduced this year. New features:

• Running Flows directly in Dynamics 365.
• Power BI integration (displaying Power BI on Dynamics dashboards).
• Field labels can wrap.
• D365 Outlook app transitioned to a unified interface framework (providing a consistent experience for users on both desktop and mobile devices).
• Optimization: Component designers for apps, views, sitemaps, and business process flows.

Dynamics 365 v9.x

2019
Starting from 2019, the concept of “upgrades” for Dynamics 365 changed to “updates,” similar to updating a mobile app, simplifying the update process. The major version number will no longer change (9.x), which I believe is a good approach, reducing the complexity of updates (to some extent) and avoiding the unknowns and fears brought by various “major updates.” New features:

• Introduction of Common Data Service (CDS).
• Site maps reverted to the left side.

Dynamics 365 v9.x — 2020

First half of the year: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365-release-plan/2020wave1/

Second half of the year: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365-release-plan/2020wave2/

Dynamics 365 v9.x — 2021

First half of the year: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365-release-plan/2021wave1/

Second half of the year: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365-release-plan/2021wave2/index

Dynamics 365 v9.x — 2022

First half of the year: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365-release-plan/2022wave1/index

Second half of the year: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365-release-plan/2022wave2/index

Dynamics 365 v9.x — 2023

First half of the year: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/release-plan/2023wave1/index

Second half of the year: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/release-plan/2023wave2/index

Dynamics 365 v9.x — 2024

First half of the year: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/release-plan/2024wave1/index

Second half of the year: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/release-plan/2024wave2/

What is the XRM era?

The XRM era refers to the extension concept adopted in the development and application of Microsoft Dynamics CRM and its subsequent products (such as Dynamics 365), known as “eXtended Relationship Management.” This concept extends beyond just customer relationship management to manage relationships of any type, including suppliers, partners, employees, etc.

Some UI Interface Screenshots

Images sourced from Google Image Search

Dynamics CRM 3.0

Dynamics CRM 4.0

Dynamics CRM 2011

Continuous Deployment Cycle?

Starting from 2018, Microsoft Dynamics 365 began implementing a “continuous deployment cycle,” which means that all organizations running Dynamics 365 v8.2 online must update to the latest version within a specified time frame. This change is aimed at ensuring users have access to the latest features, security, and support.

This “continuous deployment cycle” requires all users to gradually update and does not allow skipping versions, which is quite different from the past. Previously, users could choose to skip certain version updates and directly upgrade to subsequent versions. However, the new policy requires all users to update step by step. In case of risks for businesses, who will bear the consequences? Consultants and salespeople stand to benefit as businesses require professional support and advice to successfully complete the update. Consultants can provide update suggestions, implementation support, and training, thus earning more bread.

Dynamics 365?

Why was it eventually renamed to Dynamics 365? I will roughly describe the process in four stages:

1. Introduction of XRM
2. Promotion of XRM
3. Abandonment of CRM promotion and investment in another platform for building business applications, known as “Project Green”
4. Unified under the name Dynamics 365

At “3.”, due to various issues, Project Green failed, and at this time, ERP was spread across various applications:

• Dynamics AX
• Dynamics NAV
• Dynamics SL
• Dynamics GL

From the user’s perspective, this was quite chaotic. To unify the systems, they were all renamed Dynamics 365.

This actually created more confusion because although these products shared the same name (Dynamics 365), they were very different. The Dynamics 365 name actually became the name for Microsoft’s business applications collection. To differentiate the original applications, a new round of naming came:

• Dynamics CRM -> Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement
• Dynamics AX -> Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations
• Dynamics NAV -> Dynamics 365 Business Central

After this renaming, the user experience improved perceptually (the names described the functional roles of these applications).

What is the Power Platform

First Phase of the Power Platform

The first phase of the Power Platform: Power Apps + Flow + Power BI + Power Tools are auxiliary tools.

Power Apps

While integrating AX, NAV, SL, GL into Dynamics CRM, Microsoft was also working on another project: Siena. This project was a low-code platform where business users could build web applications through configuration. Later, Siena was renamed to Power Apps.

Flow

Developers could connect to different data sources and automate repetitive tasks, move data, and simplify communication.

Power BI

Initially, Power BI was a plugin for SQL Service (Project Crescent), but it was later spun off as a standalone product/module.

Power Tools (CDS)

The combination of Power Apps, Flow, and Power BI provided powerful capabilities, allowing developers to build robust applications using this suite. However, there was a lack of data storage at this stage, and Microsoft offered three main options for data storage:

• SharePoint managed unstructured data (documents and temporary lists) but was limited for object storage.
• MS-Access was also accessible but based on older desktop technologies and lacked a strong security model.
• SQL Service could be used, but the entry barrier was high.

To address this issue, Microsoft developed user-friendly data storage (based on Azure SQL) for developers. This data storage had a set of predefined generic data entities such as contacts, customers, activities, etc. The predefined schema is known as the Common Data Model, and accessing the database based on CDM is known as the Common Data Service.

Second Phase of the Power Platform

For many projects, Dynamics 365 applications may not be needed (or at least not immediately). In such cases, projects could start using CDS and Model-Driven or Canvas apps. (At this point, can you feel the XRM concept?). Since applications are built on the Common Data Model-based CDS database, linking to other applications or eventually upgrading to Dynamics 365 applications becomes much easier.

Later, Microsoft separated Dynamics 365 for CE from the Power Platform, offering it as a “type” of Model-Driven app within Power Apps.

Quoting a foreigner: “The combination of all these amazing features is what became and is the “Power Platform”. This has become the “xRM” platform that many of us have been dreaming about for many years, but in some ways so much better than we imagined.”

Why do I see the Power Apps Logo in CRM?

Because CDS predefined a set of common objects, and Dynamics CRM had a database containing many common entities such as customers and contacts. To manage them uniformly, Dynamics CRM’s database was switched to CDS :), and the Power Apps Logo was placed in Dynamics CRM. After this transformation, the method of creating Dynamics CRM applications became what we are familiar with today as the “Model-Driven” approach, and the original Power Apps were changed to “Canvas apps.” The Dynamics 365 for CE business application layer and the v1.0 Common Data Service were merged into the new version of the Common Data Service.

Why does the prompt “Suggest creating in Flow” keep popping up when creating new workflows?

In creating CRM workflows, a prompt appears recommending to use Flow.

In simple terms, Flow is an automation tool that allows users to create workflows across multiple applications.

With the development of Flow, it will gradually replace the traditional workflow functionality in Dynamics CRM and seamlessly connect and use data between different systems. Embrace it wholeheartedly.