Microsoft prepares new wave of SME business apps

Microsoft has launched its much talked about Project Green to integrate its mid-market business application suites and has renamed the integration project as Microsoft Dynamics.

The project aims to make it easier for users to access information from different platforms. Microsoft promises enterprise resource planning and customer relationship managment packages that are highly integrated with its Office personal productivity applications, so users will not have to switch from one application to another and re-enter data.

The continued project covers the Microsoft CRM, Great Plains, Axapta, Solomon, and Navision suites, which will now also be given new names.

Microsoft CRM is now called Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Great Plains becomes Dynamics GP, and Axapta becomes Dynamics AX. In addition, Navision becomes Dynamics NAV and Solomon becomes Dynamics SL.

User access to the various suites will be based on their position in the company and Microsoft is developing about 50 business roles that can be defined by the integrated access program.

The first commercial Microsoft Dynamics integrated access product is expected in 2007.