Microsoft has launched the first of its Dynamics
enterprise software products, which aim to give companies greater
control over business processes using familiar Windows user
interfaces.
Dynamics provides enterprise software with the look and feel of
Microsoft Office products. Last year Microsoft tied up with SAP on
a project called Medocino to develop tight links between Office and
MySAP enterprise resource planning software.
At the time, Bruce Richardson, chief research officer at AMR
Research, predicted that the next 24 months would see further
co-operation between the suppliers, but also competition. "It is
easy to envision the two battling over CRM, portals, business
intelligence and web services," he said.
The Microsoft Dynamics applications cover financial, customer
relationship management and supply chain management systems.
Delivered through a network of channel partners providing
specialised services, the products integrate with other Microsoft
software to streamline processes across the business.
The first wave of Dynamics products focus on delivering a
"roles-based user experience" with "deep integration" with the
Office and SQL Server platforms, said Microsoft.
The next wave will build on the user-centric design with the
addition of a model-driven development and customisation environ-
ment for increased business process flexibility and support for
collaborative working, said the company.
"Dynamics is focused on the business needs of customers with
solutions that are familiar to Microsoft users, helping fuel their
productivity and enabling confident decision making," said Jeff
Raikes, business division president at Microsoft.
"By researching and then aligning the software development to
the way individuals work, we have the opportunity to completely
transform the workplace."
Among the products launched last week was Microsoft Dynamics GP
9.0, which delivers 21 role-based desktops. It includes new
Business Analysis Cubes for Excel, expanded reach and functionality
around Windows Sharepoint Services and integration with Microsoft
Dynamics CRM 3.0.
Dynamics CRM 3.0 provides a complete suite of marketing, sales
and service capabilities, with an interface based on Microsoft
Office and Outlook. It also delivers event-driven workflow,
reporting and analytics capabilities based on Excel and SQL Server
Reporting Services to provide real-time visibility of business
processes and customer interactions.
Products due for release later this year include Dynamics AX 4.0
and Dynamics SL 6.5.
Dynamics AX 4.0 is a multi-language, multi-currency enterprise
resource planning product particularly suited for manufacturing,
supply chain management and the wholesale and services
industries.
Dynamics SL 6.5 is designed to enable project-, service- and
distribution-driven organisations to simplify the user experience
while receiving the benefits of a complete business management
system, said Microsoft.
The product includes expanded Windows Sharepoint Services-based
support for user-specific scheduling of reports and processes
within the application server, new Bank Reconciliation and Purchase
Requisition modules, and enhancements for project-driven
organisations.