Microsoft CRM "du jour"

CRM 4.0: Update Rollup 16 is now available

CRM 2011: CRM Online Datawarehousing and Licensing

CRM 2011: Using Plugins to modify the Views

CRM 2011: the Metadata browser is back !

CRM2011: Assigning to queue using worklows is different than CRM 4.0

CRM2011: Multi Currencies Enhancements

Here's a bit of clarification on how the Live ID and e-mails adresses are managed with MS CRM Online 2011.

First of all your LiveID and email address are not the same thing, the LiveID username format is an email adress but it is actually a username on which you can associate multiple and different email adresses.
To add to the confusion, there's a further restriction imposed by MS CRM Online 2011 that the invitation e-mail adress is only sent to the LiveID username (ie: email adress specified in the LiveId Field) and that the LiveID username must match the e-mail adress it is sent to.
This restriction could be removed in the future as other MS Services using LiveId have done so in the past; but as of today, it is active.

Thus, when you create a new user, the e-mail address you specify in the wizard is both the LiveID username and the e-mail address the invitation will be sent to.

You can change the user Primary E-mail but if you decide to resend the invitation, it will still be sent to the LiveID Username and you will need to login with that LiveID Username

Let's say we have the following scenario:

You have a current liveid account username like this one: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Your user is created in CRM Online 2011 with This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
The invitation will be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  asking to use the same liveID username.

You have different options :

• Link both LiveIds for login purposes
  Create a new LiveID with This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  Accept the invitation and complete the wizard
  You can then create a link between the two LiveIds using Live Account Services: https://account.live.com/ManageLinks
  This will allow you to login with This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  into MS CRM Online
  
• Temporary Change your LiveId Username
  Important: this will not work if your LiveId is on a MS Domain, as you cannot change an Id @live.com,@hotmail.com,...
  You will get "Your Windows Live ID can't be changed" in that case
  Go to https:/account.live.com/ChangeId.aspx and login with This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  Change your windows LiveId to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  Accept the invitation and complete the wizard
  Go back to https:/account.live.com/ChangeId.aspx
  Change your windows LiveId back to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  This will allow you to login with This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it into MS CRM Online
  
• Ask for another invitation
  The LiveID is just a username, so you could ask your System Admin to change the LiveID in Microsoft CRM to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  and resend the invitation to your existing LiveID by going to Settings/Administration/Users/Change Windows Live ID
  That does NOT imply that your CRM email adress should be This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , it could perfectly be This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  

When the login part is taken care of, you still have to tackle the email part.
By default the user Email Address is the same as the LiveID Username

In the following screen shot, you can see both the LiveID username and the Primary User email adress.

You can change the Primary User e-mail without any impacts on the login but there's an additionnal step to perform to validate this address; step which is normally handled by a System Admin

If you don't validate the e-mail adress, no email router will process it and the System Admins will get a prompt at each login into the system, stating
'Pending E-Mail Approval'

Note: This is not to be confused with another prompt "Pending E-mail Sent', which states that no e-mail router as yet processed some emails.
For more informations about email routers and MS CRM Online 2011, please read this other article : MS CRM Online 2011 and E-mail Router

CRM2011: the different upgrade paths from CRM 4.0

CRM2011: The customer and partner portals applications (previously CRM4.0 Accelerators) are now available for CRM2011, including Azure deployment