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This much we know: Earlier in the month, Oncontact Software announced the release of Oncontact CRM 6.0, the latest version of its flagship Microsoft. NET-based CRM software billed as “the industry’s first CRM software to update its graphical user interface and visual style to complement Microsoft Windows Vista operating system.”

Designed for mid-market organizations, additional features touted in Oncontact CRM 6.0 include Microsoft Office 2007 compatibility, Lotus integration, a time billing module and an advanced search function. The solution promises compatibility with industry-standard solutions including Microsoft SQL Server and a help desk management system is available to track service inquiries, incidents and problems.

All well and good. This means that, if Oncontact CRM 6.0 is indeed the first CRM to be designed for Vista cohabitation, the product should make for a good barometer of the relative use of the new Microsoft browser.

CRM Buyer’s Erika Morphy follows up on the postulation in a story called “Oncontact Rejiggers CRM App for Vista.” (Gotta love the use of the verb “to rejigger” there. Nice.)

In the piece, Oncontact president Jon Zimmerman unabashedly says that “Not many of Oncontact’s clients have requested the Vista makeover yet, although customers have been clamoring for support of Microsoft Office 2007.” However – surprise, surprise – “I think companies will be forced to jump to Vista as it begins to take off.”

Ah, good ol’ Microsoft…

Be sure to check out “Rejiggers,” a nice bit of work that goes well beyond Oncontact to check out the popularity of Vista, which Sterling Market Intelligence president Greg Sterling is quoted as saying, “Vista’s numbers came in higher than expected given the initial mixed reviews of the application.”

Oncontact Software has announced the release of Oncontact CRM 6.0, a new version of its flagship Microsoft. NET-based CRM software that is billed as “the industry’s first CRM software to update its graphical user interface and visual style to complement Microsoft Windows Vista operating system.”

Designed for mid-market organizations, additional features touted in Oncontact CRM 6.0 include Microsoft Office 2007 compatibility, Lotus integration, a time billing module and an advanced search function. The solution promises compatibility with industry-standard solutions including Microsoft SQL Server and a help desk management system is available to track service inquiries, incidents and problems. The product is offered at one price per user.

Client Profiles, a provider of CRM, case management and financial applications for the legal profession, this week announced the acquisition of the CRM consulting practice of Lynch Marks, LLC.

Since 1998, Lynch Marks CRM consultants have specialized in CRM implementation and consulting services, providing services including CRM technology selection; application development and execution of CRM implementation plans and projects; CRM data cleansing; validation and integration; training; and support.

Lynch Marks has reportedly successfully completed over 175 CRM implementations and consulting projects including engagements with over 45% of the Am Law 100 and 200 law firms.

Following the acquisition, the Lynch Marks organization will “tighten their focus on the Datalyser conversion technologies” and PSShip software.

Client Profiles’ flagship product CRM4Legal is an Outlook-based client relationship management system for law firms built on the Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform.

One step closer to open source this week is none other than Microsoft Corporation. Yesterday, Microsoft and Linux platform provider Xandros Inc. have announced a broad collaboration agreement.

The agreement calls for technical, business, marketing and intellectual property commitments. Joint solutions promise to “extend a bridge between open source and commercial software…”

Xandros officials called the agreement “a major milestone” in its vision to deliver end-to-end Linux desktop and server solutions; Windows and Linux cross-platform management; and interoperability tools.

Primary efforts between Microsoft and Xandros promise to focus on systems management interoperability; server interoperability, with Xandros enhancing Xandros Server, seeking to allow smoother interoperation with Windows Server in a network setting; office document compatibility, to foster interoperability between Open XML and Open Document Format documents; intellectual property assurance; and Microsoft sales and marketing support.

Microsoft has, as of late, made a number of agreements with Linux platform and open source software providers., including Novell Inc., JBoss, XenSource Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and Zend Technologies Inc.

As though the Portland Trail Blazers hadn’t struck enough gold last month by winning the top pick in the National Basketball Association draft lottery in securing a franchise player in either Greg Oden or Kevin Durant, they’ve also possed up with the baddest ever, Microsoft, to provide CRM for the legions of new fans this championship-competing team will draw.

The Blazers will be deploying Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 to more effectively serve an increasingly wide range of customers and probably Oden to more effectively prevent opponents from driving the lane. The Portland Trail Blazers’ IT team “expects the new system to play a critical role as the organization shifts to serving a more demographically diverse range of customers due to the recent repurchasing of the team’s home facility, the Portland Rose Garden,” and the front office will no doubt demand results from the roundball quartet in 2007-2008.

The franchise chose to replace its existing Onyx CRM system. Said Chris Dill, Blazers chief information officer, “With the valuable data that Microsoft CRM makes available to our sales teams, we can offer special promotions to fans based on their taste, from specific players to specific teams to specific musical artists and special events.”

Said Jerry West, Memphis Grizzlies GM, “There are two superstars in the draft. I think for the teams fortunate enough to get them, the fortunes of their franchises have changed forever.”

Microsoft partner Ascentium Corp., a technology and marketing consulting firm specializing in Microsoft Dynamics CRM, is working with the Trail Blazers to develop and implement the system.

As for the five on the floor, well, they probably won’t need too much help in implementing a winning team.

The folks at Customer Effective, a Microsoft Gold certified partner and provider of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, announced the company’s recently implementation of CRM at Formetco. Founded in 1968, Formetco is a full-service supplier for the outdoor advertising industry.

Working with a Formetco team, Customer Effective implemented CRM and interfaced the system with Microsoft Great Plains. Customer Effective assumed project management responsibility for the deployment, activity which involved schedule adherence, resource allocation, progress reviews and budget management.

EMS-Cortex, a New Zealand-based solutions provider for telecommunications and service providers, yesterday released Cortex 7.0 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0.

Cortex is the flagship of the company and 7.0 promises “a number of” enhancements designed to work with Microsoft Exchange 2007, SharePoint services 3.0 and the provisioning pack for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0.

Cortex 7.0 configures multiple CRM instances and servers to be managed and allows customers to be allocated to a CRM front-end server.

CRM solutions provider Business IT Professionals (a.k.a. Biz IT Pro) has announced its new partnership with PYA Wise Software Solutions, a provider of Microsoft-based management solutions. By partnering, the two firms will focus on developing customizable technology solutions to churches nationwide.

Now here’s a gauntlet thrown religiously: “The applications we have developed have the potential to revolutionize the way churches are organized,” said PYA co-managing director Bill Walker.

PYA Wise Software Solutions is a Florida-headquartered provider of Microsoft-based financial, customer relationship and supply-chain management solutions for small- and mid-market companies.

Representatives of Houston, Texas-based The Rand Group today announced the official launch of a Microsoft Dynamics Customer Relationship Management practice. Rand Group is solutions provider specializing in integration and deployment of Microsoft product.

In the practice, the Rand Group will be employing its expertise in Microsoft platform technologies including data warehousing, business intelligence and business process automation technologies.

The Rand Group recently achieved a Microsoft CRM 3.0 certification, which allows the group claim to the title of “premier Microsoft CRM 3.0 Partner in Houston and the entire Southeast Texas region.” Insert your own line about Texas here.

Go ahead, Google it.

You did, didn’t you?

No wonder one story dominated any remotely connected industry media today.

In the spirit of “My enemy’s enemy is my friend,” the breathtaking whispers say that Google is currently in discussions with Salesforce.com to design some sort of alliance against mutual foe, the biggest of them all, Microsoft.

The story appears to have been broken by the Wall Street Journal under the headline “Google, Salesforce.com Weigh Alliance to Battle Microsoft.” Reported in the piece was that some results from the discussions will be revealed “within the next few weeks.” (Tentative, ain’t it?)

The WSJ article went on to hint at what “could be a Web-based offering that integrates some of Google’s online services such as email and instant-messaging with those of Salesforce.com, whose customer-relationship management tools help salespeople track their accounts.”

Salesforce’s share prices rose by 5 percent, or $2.14, to $47.94 following the breaking of the story.