receiving user input by a collaborative scheduling and messaging application to convert a data item having a first format for a CRM application to a second format for the collaborative scheduling and messaging application, the collaborative scheduling and messaging application is part of a smart client platform that includes a smart client add-in component, the collaborative scheduling and messaging application is used as a portal to the CRM application;

accessing a first data item having the first format;

converting said first data item to a second data item having the second format,

said step of converting is performed by said smart client add-in and includes:

creating an object for the collaborative scheduling and messaging application in a data store that is associated with the collaborative scheduling and messaging application, objects stored in the data store are instantiated from classes in a namespace for the collaborative scheduling and messaging application, classes in a namespace for the smart client add-in aggregate classes in the collaborative scheduling and messaging application and correspond to objects in said CRM application,

accessing relevant data in the first data item associated with the CRM application,

automatically adding the accessed relevant data to the collaborative scheduling and messaging application object,

adding default data to the collaborative scheduling and messaging application object, and

allowing a user to edit the collaborative scheduling and messaging application object having the accessed relevant data and the default data; and

storing said scheduling and messaging application object as the second data item in a data store associated with the collaborative scheduling and messaging application.