You’ve just picked up your new iPad.  As an avid user of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, you want to be able to manage your contacts, clients, etc., while you’re out making business calls.  How does this work?

In order to use Microsoft Dynamics CRM on an iPad, you need to use a mobile version of CRM.  There is a decent ‘out-of-the-box’ mobile solution with CRM, Dynamics CRM Mobile Express. 

Why can’t you use the full-fledged functionality of CRM on your iPad?  CRM’s native environment is Internet Explorer, and the iPad does not currently support Internet Explorer.  That being said… using the iPad could be compared to using a 10” cell phone.

So, if the full functionality is not available, what can you do?

With Dynamics CRM Mobile Express, CRM functionality is limited to being a simple record editor & viewer.

Typical tasks you can perform with Dynamics CRM mobile:

1. View list of records
2. Search records
3. View and edit records
4. Edit CRM directly
5. Implement workflows.  (If you update a field on the mobile client that would normally launch a workflow on the main client, it will launch on the mobile as well.)

The nice thing about the Dynamics CRM mobile version is that the client, contact, and account views are the same as in the full version, and the security permissions are the same.  Custom entities in CRM can be setup on the mobile client as well for the XRM implementations. 

Some of the main functionality that you will not be able to use in Dynamics CRM Mobile Express on your iPad:

1. Data cannot be taken offline.
2. Some of the more advanced form layout functions, like j-script, iFrames and associated views cannot be used.
3. You don’t get the full CRM action bars, reporting or exporting found in the full CRM client.

Now, keep in mind that the above information refers to the Dynamics CRM mobile application as it comes ‘out-of-the-box.’  This does not mean that other functionality could not be included.  Through customization, there are ways that the mobile client can be setup using fields and workflows to provide quick activity management and follow-ups.