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Microsoft CRM running on Firefox, yes it can be done!
As part of writing Chapter 1 in our new book, I did some research on using Microsoft CRM with a non-Internet Explorer web browser. Of course, Firefox is the most common request so I poked around to see what I could find. The good news is that, yes, it's possible to run Microsoft CRM with Firefox! Of course, I wouldn't recommend this for a production deployment because Microsoft won't support it...but it definitely appears to work. The key is that you need to install a Firefox extension named IE Tab. I am not an expert at browser technologies, but my understanding is that the IE Tab extension uses the Internet Explorer rendering engine to display web pages within Firefox. Lastly, I didn't test this too thoroughly but I did click around for a few minutes and everything seemed fine. Personally, I don't like Firefox so I'll continue to stick with IE...I considered this as more of a proof-of-concept to see what's possible.
To view your Microsoft CRM site in Firefox, simply follow these steps:
1. Install the IE Tab extension in Firefox and then browse to your Microsoft CRM site. You'll receive the login prompt:
2. When it loads, you'll see a mess like this (screenshot taken from Microsoft CRM 4.0/Titan CTP3 build):
3. Right-click on the page and select "View Page in IE Tab". You can also left-click the Firefox icon in the lower-right corner of the window to change to IE View.
4. Voila! Microsoft CRM loads just like it does in Internet Explorer!
5. You can also configure the IE Tab options and add a specific URL so that it ALWAYS renders the page using the IE engine (like I did here by adding the URL http://prodctp3/*). This will save you a few clicks if you visit the same Microsoft CRM site repeatedly.
Note: Even though these screenshots show Microsoft CRM 4.0/Titan, this also works with Microsoft CRM 3.0!
Posted by Mike Snyder on November 13, 2007 in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0, Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 | Permalink
Comments
It`s not really running in firefox, it`s still an internet explorerwindow in the background.
Because, if you remove internet explorer from the system this addin won`t work either.
And this only works on Windows, not linux.
Posted by: Anoniem | Nov 14, 2007 6:07:53 AM
I should have posted my blog entry http://carstengroth.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!97768EC3728C1FF3!292.entry in english ;-)
Best regards
Carsten
Posted by: Carsten Groth | Nov 14, 2007 11:50:22 AM
It is quite scary to learn that in year 2007/2008 Microsoft does not support Firefox. However it is good to know that there are some alternative solutions.
Posted by: Toni | Nov 15, 2007 1:01:52 PM
The problem I see with this approach is the tabs. Everything is being opened in tabs instead of separate windows. It would be nice to get the same stuff you get with IE when opening any entity, it allows to compare 2 diferent windows.
Can you make firefox to adopt this behavior?
Posted by: Arturo | Nov 21, 2007 12:14:26 AM
One of the main reasons for Microsoft to not support Firefox for a product like CRM is because you need specific IE features that only exist within IE like ActiveX Dialog windows, both are critical for CRM.
The example above is not possible without IE installed in your computer. If you only have Firefox (wich can't happen because IE is deeply tied to Windows) this wouldn't be possible. Having the IE Tab to render CRM is the same as running IE in the background.
Another example: Now .NET Framework allows you to create a Window Form to host IE placeholders where you can display web content rendered with IE engine, you can create your own address bar, back and next button. At the end you are running the famous IE in the bacground. This is exactly what IE Tab from Firefox is doing, Running IE in the background.
There's no reason for Microsoft to not support IE Tab for Firefox. You are running it purely under IE anyway.
Posted by: Arturo | Nov 21, 2007 12:33:28 AM
Quite useless... one of the reasons for other browsers is of course that there are other platforms (YES!) than Windows. And I am expecting OS-X now really to pick up - it is the far better operating system. Bad luck... need not only to dump Windows, but also CRM with it (there are good alternatives which are platform independent - in fact, most of them are by now).
Why use a browser interface in the first place if a company is not even able to keep to the most simple standards?
Posted by: Peter Resele | Nov 28, 2007 6:10:00 AM
This is quite useful. seems to work quicker than IE 7. but when i'm running the crm outlook client it automatically defaults back to Internet Explorer when opening a contact for example. How do i stop this from happening in vista ...grrr. many thanks
Posted by: steve | Jan 21, 2008 7:04:02 PM
Have any of you notice that with Firefox 3 and IEtab lastest version when trying to introduce a name or surname in a contact like this: "Benoît" one you have to press twice for the ^ accent?
have any of you found a solution for this?
Cheers
Posted by: Guillermo | Jul 11, 2008 10:06:47 AM
Microsoft CRM has become browser independent...great news... thanks for sharing
Posted by: Microsoft CRM Customization | Aug 6, 2008 12:28:46 AM
Microsoft CRM has become browser independent...great news... thanks for sharing
Posted by: Microsoft CRM Customization | Aug 6, 2008 12:48:49 AM
IE tabs no longer works in FF3.6 there is a new version called coral IE tabs but this will not render CRM correctly. Ahh well back to IE :-(
Posted by: Sean O'neill | Jan 29, 2010 11:03:39 AM
