For anyone that has ever worked with CRM understands it is not the easiest technology to deploy. It integrates with other applications and is becoming a must-have for sales organizations. Where there’s difficulty, comes opportunity for SPLA providers.
CRM for Microsoft SPLA has a few new flavors to align with CRM Online. Similar to Lync, SharePoint, and Exchange, each one comes with different functionality. The flavors under SPLA are the following: CRM Service Provider Edition (it’s the Professional Edition for hosted environments), CRM Essentials (formerly ESS), and CRM Basic (Formerly CRM limited). The actual SKU’s are listed below. For a complete summary of the differences, please check the SPUR, I also found this article on the CRM Online website (CRM Online)
QHH-00028 Dynamics CRM Service Provider Edition
QHH-00089 Dynamics Basic
QHH-00090 Dynamics CRM Essentials
From a licensing perspective, it is licensed by user (SAL) and does require SQL and Windows. Check out my other posts around those offerings and licensing guidance. What’s interesting about CRM is it does not require the service provider to be Dynamics authorized as is the case with Great Plains and other Dynamics offerings. As indicated at the beginning, CRM does require expertise (especially hosting it) but can be very profitable. Once you deploy CRM, you can add other solutions such as Exchange and SharePoint to be a one stop shop for hosted solutions. To install CRM, the license key code will be embedded in the software. Download the media from the VLSC website (see “License Keys and Media” post). It’s a pretty thick file, be patient.
If you have a CRM offering, would love to learn more about it. Hit me up on LinkedIn at the top right of this screen.
Thanks for reading,
SPLA Man
SPLA Licensing 
Artur
October 12, 2013 at 9:10 am
Hi just some more info :
If a Service Provider start licensing CRM 2011 in the past. The SPUR from that period is valid.
For CRM 2013 the new rules will of course apply. If the Service Provider report CRM 2013 and downgrade to CRM 2011 the can use the new rules. Some Service Provider can benefit from that because the basic CRM 2013 have more functionality than the limited CRM 2011.
splaman
October 12, 2013 at 6:48 pm
Great point Artur. Thank you for the clarification.
splaman
October 14, 2013 at 9:43 am
Yes, that goes for all new products. Check out my post “why timing is everything”
CW
October 8, 2015 at 4:59 pm
So, do you need a CRM and SQL SAL?
splaman
October 13, 2015 at 2:21 pm
That is correct 🙂
Addiel Chacon
February 3, 2017 at 2:20 pm
I see that CRM is licensed by SAL, but how about SQL Server, can it be licensed using Core license instead of SAL?