History- CRM

 

1. Origins (2003–2005): Dynamics CRM 1.0 & 3.0

  • Released: CRM 1.0 in 2003, CRM 3.0 in 2005 (there was no CRM 2.0).

  • Deployment: On-premises only.

  • Tech Stack: Built on ASP.NET and IIS; used SQL Server.

  • Limitations: Basic sales and service modules; heavy reliance on custom development.

2. Growth and Maturity (2007–2010): CRM 4.0

  • Released: CRM 4.0 in 2007.

  • New Features:

    • Introduced multi-tenancy.

    • First online version (CRM Online).

    • Introduced plug-in model, more extensibility.

  • Architecture: Web service-based with SOAP APIs.

  • Deployment: On-premises and hosted CRM Online.

3. Modern Platform Begins (2011–2015): CRM 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016

  • CRM 2011:

    • Full ribbon interface, dashboarding, early Power BI integration.

    • Improved plugin and workflow engine.

  • CRM 2013:

    • UI overhaul (flat UI), auto-save, business process flows.

    • Real-time workflows, business rules.

  • CRM 2015/2016:

    • More integration with Office 365.

    • CRM App for Outlook, enhanced mobile experience.

    • CRM 2016 introduced Web API (OData v4), enabling RESTful access.

4. Shift to Dynamics 365 (2016–2018): Platform Unification

  • Big Change: Microsoft rebranded CRM as Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement.

  • Split modules (Sales, Customer Service, Field Service, etc.).

  • Fully integrated with Power Platform.

  • Common Data Service (CDS) introduced (precursor to Dataverse).

  • Unified interface (UCI) became default.

5. Power Platform Era (2019–Present): Extensibility & Low Code

  • Dataverse replaces CDS as the name of the data platform.

  • Model-driven apps became the base for CE apps.

  • Deeper integration with:

    • Power Automate (replacing legacy workflows)

    • Power Apps, Power BI, AI Builder

    • Power Pages (portals)

  • API-first approach with Web API, OData, and custom connectors.

  • Support for CI/CD, DevOps pipelines, and PCF controls.

  • Copilot AI and Azure OpenAI integration added in 2023–2024.

6. Today (2024–2025): AI-Native and Hyper Automation

  • Dynamics 365 CE is:

    • Cloud-native (SaaS, no on-premises support post-2024 roadmap)

    • Embedded with Copilot, Customer Insights, Real-time Journey Orchestration

    • Heavily tied into Microsoft Teams, Azure Synapse, Data Lake

Technology Stack Over Time:

PeriodKey Tech Stack Components
2003–2010ASP.NET, SOAP APIs, SQL Server
2011–2015WCF Services, Plugin Model, Ribbon UI
2016–2018Web API, Unified Interface, CDS
2019–2022Power Platform, Dataverse, Azure Integration
2023–2025AI Builder, Copilot, Low-code-first strategy
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