 |
It’s nice to see that, besides the “people-ready” marketing, there’s some actual product news at Microsoft’s Convergence 2006 this week:
Microsoft Previews Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 at Convergence 2006:
Today at Convergence 2006, the Microsoft Business Solutions Group’s annual customer conference, Microsoft Corp. previewed Microsoft Dynamics™ AX 4.0, an adaptable, global business management solution.
…
Microsoft Dynamics AX (formerly Microsoft Business Solutions–Axapta®) is a multilanguage, multicurrency enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution that addresses intricate business scenarios involving complex collaboration within and across companies. Its core strengths in the manufacturing, supply chain management, wholesale and distribution, retail, government, and services industries are extended with Web services integration and portal technology to enable an end-to-end view of a customer’s business.
It will be available later this year.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 Expands Customer Choice With New Hosting and Connector Initiatives:
At Convergence 2006, the Microsoft Business Solutions Group’s customer conference, Microsoft Corp. today announced that Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM is introducing new programs for hosted CRM and real-time integration. These programs include a new Microsoft Dynamics CRM Professional Edition for Service Providers as well as prepackaged connectors designed to give customers more choice and flexibility in the deployment of CRM technology across their businesses. These are being delivered through the Microsoft® global network of hosting and solution delivery partners:
• The Microsoft CRM team is delivering a new version of its full-suite Professional Edition that is enhanced for deployment in hosted environments. The new product will be deployed by hosting partners around the world; these partners will deliver hosted Microsoft CRM directly to end customers or through ISVs, VARs and other partners. This supports Microsoft’s goal of enabling hundreds of regional and vertical on-demand CRM businesses to develop rapidly around the world.
• The Microsoft CRM team is introducing a range of prepackaged connectors and templates for delivering real-time connections with Microsoft Dynamics ERP products as well as third-party CRM and ERP applications such as those from Siebel Systems Inc., SAP AG and Oracle Corp. These connectors will be delivered over the next 12 months, starting immediately with an updated connector to Microsoft Dynamics GP.
These programs are being delivered through Microsoft global network of hosting and solution delivery partners.
Microsoft Releases Microsoft Dynamics GP Extensions:
Today at Convergence 2006, the Microsoft Business Solutions Group’s customer conference, Microsoft Corp. announced the availability of Microsoft Dynamics™ GP 9.0 Extensions, a wide range of enhancements to the Microsoft Dynamics GP enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution that empower a user’s mobility, strengthen compliance tracking and reporting capabilities, increase business process functionality, and extend the standards-based tools available for developers. This broad set of offerings provides powerful tools for customers and partners and further supports Microsoft’s vision of delivering solutions that are familiar to users, fit with existing systems, fuel business productivity and enable confident decision-making.
…
Microsoft Dynamics GP now provides more mobility options so users can access information relevant to their role when they need it. Among these new features is the Field Service Anywhere solution for service technicians, which can be deployed via handheld devices and synchronized with Service Call Management. Based on Microsoft® Windows Mobile®, SQL Server™ Mobile and the .NET Compact Framework, Field Service Anywhere will be deployable as a Windows Mobile version for Pocket PCs with and without phone capabilities.
…
Two new pieces of functionality — audit trails and electronic signatures — when used together help ease compliance with FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Audit trails allow users to easily track, trace and report on changes made to data within the Microsoft Dynamics GP solution, including changes made to data within third-party software that resides in Microsoft Dynamics GP.
More details by following the link.
Finally, although it isn’t really product news, Microsoft is sponsoring a community web site for Dynamics users with “enhanced community infrastructure enabling RSS feeds, blogging, video blogging, “mash-ups,” collaborative participation in shared source development projects, and enhanced online discussions.” Fair warning: the marketing speak is fairly dense on this one.
Furthering its commitment to delivering versatile retail software that meets the unique needs of small retailers, Microsoft Corp. today announced new relationships with three well-known hardware manufacturers to provide point-of-sale (POS) terminals pre-loaded with Microsoft® Point of Sale software. The company today also debuted the latest version of Microsoft Retail Management System featuring multiple enhancements as well as improved integration with Microsoft Dynamics™ GP financial management software.
…
Microsoft has teamed with retail POS hardware manufacturers Casio Inc., DigiPoS Systems Group and HP to introduce complete hardware and software solutions that deliver versatility and reliability for smaller retailers. These vendors’ offerings feature Microsoft Point of Sale — an easy-to-use, affordable application that enables small, independent retailers to track and manage sales, inventory and customer information — packaged with hardware and peripherals to simplify the purchasing, deployment and implementation processes for retailers.
…
The release of Microsoft Retail Management System 1.3 brings improved overall performance to small and midsize businesses, including improved scalability to meet the needs of midsize retailers. Enhanced integration of the software’s Headquarters module with Microsoft Dynamics GP creates greater business agility and financial management reach, including better coordination and tracking of store and headquarters information between the two applications, the ability to better track inventory throughout the supply chain, improved visibility into sales transactions at the individual store level, and deeper insights into general ledger activities.
The home pages for Microsoft Point of Sale and the Microsoft Retail Management System have more details.
Autodesk, Inc. and Microsoft Corp. today announced an expansion of their existing strategic alliance to enable customers to more easily create, manage, and share critical design data at every stage of the project and product life-cycle processes. The companies announced the completion of the first phase of the expanded alliance, which includes the availability of new Autodesk DWF (Design Web Format) functionality to allow customers to easily integrate design information from Autodesk applications with Microsoft(R) Office applications and Microsoft Business Solutions-Great Plains(R) and Microsoft Business Solutions-Axapta(R), now part of Microsoft Dynamics(TM).
As a part of the expanded alliance, the companies also agreed to further align their respective technologies, including expanded Microsoft support for Autodesk’s DWF functionality and plans for Autodesk to support Microsoft XAML (Extensible Application Markup Language).
At the least, the latter implies a version of Autodesk supporting the graphics bells and whistles provided by Avalon in Vista and perhaps in the backported version coming for Windows XP as well.
Today at Microsoft IT Forum 2005, Microsoft Corp. announced the availability of Microsoft Dynamics™ GP 9.0, an integrated, adaptable business management solution that increases the impact people can have on their organizations by providing them with a role-based user experience that fits with their existing systems.
Microsoft Dynamics GP is the first solution released as part of Wave One of Microsoft’s next-generation, industry-leading solution formerly known as “Project Green” and now renamed Microsoft Dynamics. This release delivers 21 role-based desktops, a Microsoft® Office-like user interface, new Business Analysis Cubes for Microsoft Excel®, expanded reach and functionality around the Microsoft Windows® SharePoint® Services portal, deeper integration with the upcoming release of Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM, Web services access points to core objects, and a Visual Studio® 2005 development experience for extending Microsoft Dynamics GP.
With this new approach to role-based desktops, companies running Microsoft Dynamics GP will deploy pre-configured software targeting the core processes and reports that are relevant for specific jobs in a company. These 21 role-based desktops are integrated with Office and the Web, making it easier for individuals in a company to be more productive without extensive software training. In addition, more than 170 enhancements will be delivered across the modules within the Microsoft Dynamics™ GP product line, encompassing financial management, distribution, manufacturing, field service, human resources management and payroll.
Since the “brand speak” and jargon is a little thick, here’s a translation. Microsoft released version 9.0 of its Great Plains accounting and financial software for small and medium businesses. Along with the other products from Microsoft Business Solutions it is being revamped to a common base via “Project Green” which emphasizes integration with other Microsoft products. Version 9.0 is the first step in the process for Great Plains which is now branded Microsoft Dynamics GP. The Great Plains home page has more info although they still refer to it as “Great Plains” and there doesn’t seem to be anything about 9.0.
