There is a common misconception, that if you are an existing Dynamics CRM online customer, and purchase Dynamics 365 online licenses, that your Dynamics CRM environment will automatically be updated to the "Dynamics 365" look and feel. In this article, we will outline HOW to upgrade to Dynamics 365 online from Dynamics CRM online, and WHAT users will experience after the update.

First things first – the licenses. Microsoft has slowly been rolling out the ability for current Microsoft Dynamics CRM online users, to update to the Dynamics 365 Enterprise Edition. You will have access to update your Dynamics CRM system to the latest version (Dynamics 365) and use Dynamics 365, once the update has been applied. Whether you have existing Microsoft Dynamics CRM online licenses, or have switched to Microsoft Dynamics 365 online licenses, is irrelevant. However, to receive all of the advantages of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Enterprise Plan 1 license – like a sandbox environment, a portal, 10 GB of storage (default, compared to 5 GB of storage that came default with CRM licenses), etc. – you WILL need to have purchased Dynamics 365 Enterprise Edition licenses. If you have licensing question, please contact us.

Scheduling the Update

Scheduling the update itself is quite simple, and can be done right inside of the Dynamics 365 Admin Center. Navigate to https://portal.office.com, sign in with your admin credentials (you must be a global admin in Office 365 to perform this action), and click on "Dynamics 365" in the Admin Centers area.

Navigate to the Updates tab, and highlight the organization you'd like to update. Then click on "Schedule your update." Remember, it's always a good idea to update your sandbox environment FIRST before you upgrade your production environment, so that you can test and make sure everything is working in the sandbox, before applying the update to production.

Next, you will be brought to a screen, where you can choose a preferred update date, and an alternate update date. Choose your preferred option and click Next.

You will then be brought to a confirmation screen, and then back to the Dynamics 365 Admin Center, where you can reschedule your update, if needed.

After the Update

Once your system has been updated from Dynamics CRM Online to Dynamics 365 Online, you will log in and see Dynamics 365 in your upper left corner.

The other thing you will notice right away is that, if you click on Dynamics 365, you will see a new navigation menu, that breaks your CRM system into different segments.

If you've customized your CRM, your "Dynamics 365 – custom" area, will be under the portion with the Dynamics 365 logo. However, if you click on a functional area, like "Sales," you will be brought to an area of the system that focuses on the sales functional areas.

As more and more features roll out, they will be pushed to your Dynamics 365 system, but for the initial Dynamics 365 rollout, the navigation and logo are the primary changes.

If you want to learn more about Dynamics 365, make sure to tune into our CRM for Dynamics 365 webinar series on Tuesdays and Thursdays, now until February 2!

Happy CRM'ing!