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Resco Mobile CRM desktop client. But why?

laptop and iPhone on a wooden table
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Resco Mobile CRM has a desktop client for Windows 7, Vista, 8 & 10.
Let me first address the pink elephant in the room:
What’s the point of Resco Mobile CRM desktop client?
After all, Resco focuses on mobile platforms. Right?

The answer

Yes, technically we focus on mobility. Yet, we also offer a desktop client. Simply because there are uses for it.
Let me explain by going back in time to where it all started.

The origin

It was somewhere around 2010. Or 2011? Gosh. Let’s just say a few years back.
Acer_1820PTLaptops with touchscreen-enabled displays came out.
You know, those ones with rotating screen. You could use it as a normal laptop or transform it into a tablet-like form.
With battery lasting for 8 hours straight, they were good to go on the road if you wanted to work from a remote location.
They were just a bit bulky.
But, Dynamics CRM wasn’t optimized for these touchscreens.
And since it was (for us) easy to create a Windows client, we did exactly that. Resco Mobile CRM desktop client was born!
I say desktop, because we are talking about devices with a standard operating system (Windows XP at that time). I could also use the name ‘desktop/laptop client’, I just prefer not to.
So there you have it, touchscreen laptops was what it took.

The practical use

Even if you do not have a laptop with rotating touchscreen, the desktop client can be quite handy for you as well. Here are a few examples in what way:

  1. For an offline access to Dynamics CRM
    We worked with SAP-based CRM system in one of my previous jobs. Apart from being quite slow (read: very very slow), it worked only online. So when the Internet went down, we were paralyzed.What seemed to be fun for us, employees, was not so great for the company (which was basically losing money).
  2. For getting to know the app without having a device
    I can only imagine a company wanting to go mobile, but having no or very limited amount of devices at hand. They are likely to decide which one to purchase after evaluating all software and hardware requirements. So how does one truly evaluate a solution when there’s nothing to try it on?The Resco Mobile CRM app for desktop is pretty much the same as its tablet counterpart. Most of the things work the same way, so people can test the app without needing to wait until some tablet magically appears on their desk.
  3. For testing
    If you are a system admin, you’ll love it.While customizing the mobile solution, you are likely to make a change in Woodford, publish it and go into the app to see if it does what you told it to do. And repeat. And repeat.This can take a while.The desktop client is very convenient for these repetitive customizations. It’s more convenient, takes less time to sync and you don’t need to think about the tablet battery icon patronizing you.
  4. For other user interface
    Maybe your users find the browser interface of Dynamics CRM confusing. Cluttered. Unattractive.Resco Mobile CRM desktop client can address all of these issues. It can also become a lightweight client for those needing to perform very simple tasks.
  5. For using in-store by customers
    The supermarket where I shop at has a satisfaction questionnaire right next to the exit. There’s only one question on it: “How satisfied are you with shopping experience?” and smiley faces that indicate the level of satisfaction. All you need to do is touch the face that looks like you at that moment.This can be easily accomplished by using Resco Mobile CRM. And all of the responses would make it directly into the CRM system.

How to use the desktop client

Download the installation file to your PC.
Install it.
Use it.
Tip: One thing that bugs me about our desktop client is that there’s no minimize icon on it. If you have tried it, you might have noticed it covers the whole screen and you cannot switch between programs running on your PC.
In order to be able to minimize the Resco Mobile CRM desktop client, here’s what you gotta do:

  • Create a shortcut of the app (Find the .exe file wherever you installed the software. Most likely you’ll find it in program files. Create a shortcut from it.)
  • Right-click on the shortcut and add this string to the end of the Target line: –window

RescoDesktop_Help
That is it. Now the app will open up in a standard window that can be minimized.
You can also use –osk to enable the on-screen keyboard or –notitle that hides the window title.

To download the Resco Mobile CRM client for Windows Vista, 7, 8 and 8.1, go to https://www.resco.net/MobileCRM/downloads/MobileCRM-Tablet.msi

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