SugarCRM uses Ms-CL and the WiX toolset.

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A few months ago, Bill Hilf asked if I would attend a meeting to discuss the Windows Installer and Windows Installer XML toolset with an external vendor, SugarCRM. Robert Flaming, a Windows Installer PM, came along and we had a great discussion with John Roberts, Client Oram, and Jacob Taylor (all pictured here in suits!). The five us discussed topics like about SugarCRM's current installation needs, how the Windows Installer worked and how the WiX toolset fit into the world. After all the technical discussion was done, we had a couple shorter but really interesting discussions about assignment agreements (SugarCRM has one just like the WiX toolset does) and interacting with the project's community. It was a lot of fun talking to those guys.

I always wondered what happened after those talks. In fact, Robert pinged me late last week asking if I had heard anything. Was SugarCRM going to use WiX?

Well, thanks to Mary Jo Foley, I came across SugarCRM announcement today at OSBC. SugarCRM is going to collaborate with Microsoft to release a new Windows-based distribution. A few things came out in this announcement.

First, SugarCRM plans to integrate with more Microsoft technologies, such as Active Directory and SQL Server. This is great news for those who use SugarCRM in a homogenous Windows environment. In fact, there are customer quotes at the end of SugarCRM's announcement that state just this.

Second, SugarCRM is going to license a new Sugar Suite under the Microsoft Community License (Ms-CL). I find this part interesting for two reasons. One, it appears that an external vendor will be the first to use the Ms-CL. Two, SugarCRM's announcement echoes what I like about the Ms-CL. The Ms-CL is easy to read and is very straightforward. If the Ms-CL was ever approved by OSI then I'd be tempted to suggest that the WiX community switch to the Ms-CL away from the CPL.

Finally, my favorite part, there is this quote from the SugarCRM announcement:

In addition, SugarCRM plans to use the Windows Installer XML (WiX) toolset to build its forthcoming product installation as a Microsoft Software Installer (MSI) package for Windows Server 2003.

Sweet! (pun intended) <smile/>