Microsoft is developing a network which will allow users of
its Great Plains ERP package to conduct transactions
electronically.
The Microsoft Business Network is being developed initially for the
US to help trading partners conduct transactions. Simon Edwards, UK
general manager at Microsoft Business Solutions, said, "[A user]
could raise an invoice within Great Plains and pass it to a partner
through the business network."
He said Microsoft would be providing services, tools and a standard
format for transactions based on XML.
Edwards expected Microsoft Business Networks to be available to UK
users of Great Plains and Navision within a year. The version of
the business network is likely to be included in Project Green, a
future Microsoft ERP platform being developed for its Longhorn
operating system.
Along with the business network, Microsoft is revamping its Great
Plains business software. Version 8, which is due in July, will be
given a new user interface. Microsoft said it will also be closely
integrated with Office and the new version of Microsoft Business
Portal (version 2.5), as part of Microsoft's attempt to offer
standardised ways of working with its products.
This summer will also see a customer relationship management sales
module for Windows mobile-based Pocket PCs. The module, called
Microsoft CRM Sales for Outlook, will allow users to synchronise
mobile data in the field with the Microsoft CRM back-office suite.
The release of version 2.0 of Microsoft CRM has already been
delayed a year to summer 2005.
Microsoft said it will introduce Navision 4.0, its mid-market ERP
product in October. Greater manufacturing functionality and a
toolkit for upgrading are among the enhancements promised in the
new release. Microsoft said these would make it easier for
developers to introduce customised versions of the software for
niche industries.
Project Green
Project Green is Microsoft's strategy to provide a single ERP
platform for small and medium-sized businesses. The idea is to tie
together Great Plains, Navision and its Axapta products into a
common transactional framework built using the Microsoft .net
architecture for web services.