Convergence: Announcements at the Show
The whole press release, including some useful information on the new features
in AX 2009 (the latest update of AX, announced today and obtusely "code-named"
AX 5.0), which should arrive by the end of June, is
here.
There's also "news" about how Microsoft designed some of its "role-tailored"
Dynamics interfaces by using research conducted with something called the IT
University of Copenhagen -- what, we wonder, is the school's mascot? -- on how
users respond emotionally to software screens.
Probably the biggest news for partners is that EDS will offer Dynamics CRM
to its customers. Ronald A. Rittenmeyer, chairman, president and CEO (is there
anything this guy doesn't do?) of EDS, showed up onstage with Steve Ballmer
this morning to discuss the announcement.
"We see the entire Dynamics thing as definitely an enterprise-grade solution.
CRM is something we see as our fabric," said Rittenmeyer, chairman, president,
CEO and, apparently, tailor. The titled one also said that EDS could train and
deploy as many as 300 Dynamics consultants in the next several years.
For his part, Ballmer used the EDS deal to take a shot at rival IBM: "None
of their product lines today is that strong. IBM is really more of an enterprise
services player that really doesn't love our software very much. That's why
we love EDS a lot," Ballmer cackled.
Microsoft also has some SaaS-y additions to its Dynamics suites, including
online payment, "marketplace" (think integration with eBay) and keyword
marketing services. Plus, not so much on the SaaS-y side, there's a new set
of tools to help users of Intuit's QuickBooks move to Dynamics GP.
Posted by Lee Pender on March 12, 2008