The rapid application development environment extends Microsoft's CRM to work with other databases and adds UI functionality.

Kalamazoo, Michigan-based appStrategy has shipped version 1.5 of AppRadius for Microsoft CRM. The rapid application development (RAD) environment extends Microsoft CRM with a drag-and-drop toolkit of labor-savers such as buttons, lists, query controls, and Web forms.

appRadius extends CRM by using ASP.NET controls, claims the company, thus saving developers time. "They can get a lot done without writing a line of code," said Greg Ozuzu, founder and CEO of appStrategy.

New to Version 1.5 are a grid, charting tool, XML-based system configuration engine, and data source drivers that support Microsoft CRM's FetchXML, SQL and legacy formats. The appRadius API gives developers unlimited access to the appRadius system for those building powerful vertical apps, says the company.

The new version of appRadius opens up Microsoft CRM to enterprise class customers, says Ozuzu. In particular, many enterprises have data in various sources, although Microsoft CRM is written to work with Microsoft SQL Server. "It's important for these large customers to have access to large databases, like Oracle and DB2 — including legacy data," explains Ozuzu, and corporate developers can use appRadius to customize and extend Microsoft CRM for use within their own company. Plus, he says, "ISVs and consultants can use it to develop solutions for their end-user customers."

Green Beacon Solutions, LLC of Watertown, Massachusetts develops software for third-party customers. Green Beacon was founded just two weeks after 9/11, but has grown from four employees to thirty. Benjamin Holtz, Green Beacon President and CEO, says appRadius allows his company to customize for its clients faster and more effectively. "The toolset from Greg's company enables us to do development in hours as opposed to days. For instance, they have a grid component that we can drop into a Microsoft CRM design. Instead of taking three days to develop a grid control and get it to work properly, you're looking at hours," says Holtz.

According to Holtz, appRadius not only speeds the prototype, but gives the clients a much better idea of what they're going to get in the finished product.

Mark Pownell, VP and Chief Technology Officer of telecommunications consulting firm Micro-Audit, Inc. of Portage, Michigan looks for ways to make technology provide solutions for clients and to streamline services. Microsoft CRM was helping track the numerous activities assigned to each account, but adopted appRadius for in-house use. "We needed more functionality out of the base CRM," said Pownell. "[appRadius] provides the customized views that we need from the data in order to make decisions and manage our processes and plans." Pownell's bottom line: "The CRM is a good tool, but appRadius brings it from a tool to a mission critical application."

The new version requires Microsoft Visual Studio .NET and Microsoft CRM 1.2. Pricing for the Developer Suite costs $1,495 per developer, per year; deployment licenses are $175 per user, per year.

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