title: MS Business Contact Manager only accepts local SQL databases - but my server is remote - workaround?
body: <p>I need help/input with following situation:</p>
  
  <p>Me and my business partner work in two different towns and would like to use Microsoft's Business Contact Manager as our CRM tool (please do not point to alternatives or other CRM solutions).</p>
  
  <p>My test client computer has MS Office 2013 and MS Business Contact Manager (BCM) 2013 installed. The BCM demo setup worked without any issue - it installed a local SQL Server Express server and populated a database with demo data.</p>
  
  <p>I do also have a hosted SQL Server 2008 from a hosting company. I created a database and a user within their webend and successfully connected to it via Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio.</p>
  
  <p><strong>The problem now</strong>:<br>
  BCM only detects local databases installed on the client or on the local network - the setup wizard only asks for the name of the remote computer when I try to connect to a remote database (which has to be in the same local network). There are no fields for username, password.</p>
  
  <p>So, is there any workaround in order to create "the illusion" of a local database instance which connects "in the background" to my remote server?</p>
  
  <p>I read about aliases but it does not allow to enter a username and password either...</p>
  
  <p>Hope someone may help.</p>