Sending e-mails from Microsoft Dynamics CRM

(post courtesy Sarkis Derbedrossian)

I often meet Microsoft CRM users who don’t know how sending e-mail works within Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Most users think that when they create an e-mail in CRM and hit the send button, the e-mail is sent automatically. Neither Outlook nor CRM can send e-mails without a post system e.g. Exchange server. Below you will learn how e-mail within CRM works with and without Outlook

E-mail in relation to CRM

Once you've created an e-mail activity in MS CRM and click the Send button to send the e-mail, this mail is handled differently depending on the settings of each user is set to in MS CRM.

E-mail can be handled through Outlook or directly through CRM ... but neither Outlook nor MS CRM can implement the physical handling of the e-mail. This is done by a mail server (Microsoft Exchange Server or another mail system).

Sending an E-mail in MS CRM

Do not make a fast conclusion and think that MS CRM can neither receive nor send e-mail. You should understand that the above task requires an e-mail system to accomplish.

When you send email from MS CRM it usually happens by the following steps:

  1. The user creates an e-mail activity and clicks on the send button. The e-mail is now saved with the user as the recipient
  2. The e-mail gets synchronized to the user’s Outlook
  3. The users Outlook sends the e-mail to the mail server (Exchange)
  4. Exchange sends the e-mail through the internet

What if the user does not have the Outlook client open? This will result in the mail will not be sent until the user logs into Outlook. For some situations this can be insufficient. Fortunately installing the e-mail router can solve it.

Sending e-mail via the e-mail router

If you want to be independent of Outlook, and thus could send email directly from MS CRM without using Outlook, this can be done by installing and configuring an E-mail Router.

The e-mail Router is free software that comes with MS CRM. The software can be installed on any server that has access to a Mail Server (Exchange Server or other mail system (POP3/SMTP)) and MS CRM.

When you send email from MS CRM using an E-mail Router it often happens by the following steps

  1. The user creates an e-mail activity and clicks on the send button. The e-mail is now saved with the user as the recipient
  2. The e-mail is sent to the e-mail router
  3. The email router sends the e-mail to the mail server (Exchange)
  4. Exchange sends the e-mail through the internet

E-mail settings in CRM

Depending on how you want your organization to send e-mails, remember to check the following settings:

  1. In CRM, Settings, Users
  2. Open the user form
  3. In the configuration section of the e-mail access, select the desired setting

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Configuring e-mail access

It is possible to choose one of the following settings from the option list:

None
Outlook cannot be used for sending and receiving e-mails which is related to MS CRM

Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook
Outlook is responsible for sending / receiving e-mail. Integration with MS CRM for Outlook must be installed and configured. E-mails sent / received only when Outlook is active (open)

E-mail router
E-mail is sent and received with MS CRM Email Router. If this element is selected, a dialog box allows entering credentials. Check the box if you want to specify credentials

Forwarded mailbox
E-mail forwarded from another e-mail address. The e-mail Router is responsible for sending / receiving e-mails.

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