Microsoft Dynamics Cited as an Order Management Hub Solutions Leader by Independent Research Firm

Microsoft Corp.(Nasdaq “MSFT”) today announced that Microsoft Dynamics AX earned recognition from Forrester Research Inc., a leading independent research firm, as a Leader in The Forrester Wave™: Order Management Hubs, Q3 2010 (August 2010). To participate, vendors had to meet specific requirements, including an ability to provide support for market-leading industries, to demonstrate a broad business process footprint and to target organizations with 500 or more employees. These vendors were then evaluated against 112 criteria based on current offering, strategy, and market presence. According to Forrester, Microsoft Dynamics AX was one of the vendors that earned a Leader designation because of “strong support for end-to-end management processes and forward-looking product strategies.”

“We believe being named a Leader in the Forrester Wave is a reflection of the investment in our Microsoft Dynamics ERP industry road map, our support for two-tier ERP implementation scenarios and our Dynamic Business vision,” said Crispin Read, general manager, Microsoft Dynamics ERP. “By delivering on a market vision focused on simplifying the user experience, increasing productivity and delivering continuous innovation for customers, we are able to help them keep pace with the rapid rate of change in today’s complex business environment.”

Results From Forrester Research

According to Forrester, “Microsoft enters the Leader band for the first time based principally on the strength of its strategy, including a top three product and go-to-market strategy as well as market-leading ownership costs.”

The report also states, “Microsoft’s product strategy represents a compelling vision for end-to-end order management. As large and enterprise-sized companies continue to experience difficulty with existing systems, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 will play an increasing role as a key alternative for divisions and subsidiaries looking for lower-cost and more effective alternatives. Microsoft placed third of vendors evaluated for its corporate and go-to-market strategy due to strong customer reference and extended global reach through partnerships.”

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced plans to deliver a connector in the third quarter of 2010 that will accelerate two-tier ERP deployments between Microsoft Dynamics AX and SAP Business Suite.

A number of customers are using Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 to increase productivity and savings including Integrated Silicon Solution Inc. (ISSI), a fabless global manufacturer. ISSI evaluated SAP and Oracle solutions before selecting Microsoft Dynamics AX to integrate global operations, reduce inventory, improve productivity and be more proactive in decision-making.

The Forrester Wave: Order Management Hubs, Q3 2010 (August 2010) report is available here. Those interested in learning more about Microsoft Dynamics ERP should visit this page, follow the Microsoft Dynamics conversation here, and engage with the community.

About Microsoft Dynamics

Microsoft Dynamics is a line of easy-to-use, integrated and adaptable ERP and CRM applications that enable business decision-makers to quickly respond to market shifts, take advantage of new trends, increase their competitive edge and drive business success. Microsoft Dynamics solutions are delivered through a world-class network of reselling partners providing specialized services and additional innovation to help customers excel in their industries.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 ERP MRP

http://www.pargesoft.com/ Microsoft Dynamics AX NAV ERP Solutions Global Partner.

Microsoft Dynamics Video: Oracle Migration to Dynamics ERP

Network Equipment Technology is a provider of enterprise solutions.  They moved from Oracle to Microsoft Dynamics AX.   They saw a significant costs savings with the move and also increases in user productivity.

Microsoft seeks to leverage midmarket ERP (NEWS)

IDG News Service - Microsoft can't boast the ERP (enterprise resource planning) application revenue earned by giants SAP and Oracle, nor equal their breadth of technological capabilities, but its tight focus on small and medium-sized businesses gives it an edge, according to observers and company officials..

While Microsoft does not release specific figures for its Dynamics ERP product line, annual revenues have been estimated at between US$1.1 billion and $1.2 billion, according to Ray Wang, a partner with the analyst firm Altimeter Group.

There is plenty of room for that number to grow, as midsized companies look to replace legacy systems or small ones seek out ERP applications as they grow larger in size.

"[The midmarket is] our sweet spot, and where our partners are geared up to sell," according to Phil Battersby, a director in ERP field marketing and management for Microsoft Dynamics EMEA. "We're not interested in the enterprise space. SAP and Oracle have been dominant in that part of the market for a long time."

Dynamics is sold exclusively through partners, who fine-tune and customize the products for specific industries, such as retail, manufacturing and services.

The partner-centric approach is crucial given the vast size of the SMB market and the fact that those customers typically like to deal with a local face,

Wang said.
And those partners can help Microsoft reach out to ever more vertical markets -- an approach Battersby said will be important to its competitive success.

http://www.pargesoft.com/ Microsoft Dynamics ERP Global Partner

Compare Oracle with Microsoft Dynamics

Three reasons to switch from Oracle to Microsoft Dynamics

Making the decision to change your company's business management system is a process that requires research and foresight. Here are three top reasons why businesses using Oracle applications, including PeopleSoft, JD Edwards, and E-Business Suite solutions, have decided to make the switch to Microsoft Dynamics.

Microsoft Dynamics can scale with your business. Microsoft Dynamics provides affordable scalability for your growing businesses. With benchmarked performance up to 1,000 users and beyond and rich functionality across financials, supply chain management, and customer relationship management, you can be confident in the ability of Microsoft Dynamics to meet the needs of your growing business. Integrate your Microsoft Dynamics business management solution with Microsoft SQL Server and enjoy enterprise-level reporting, flexible decision-making support, and timely, relevant business insight at a low cost with significantly high usability and flexibility.

Microsoft Dynamics provides a low cost of ownership. Microsoft Dynamics is engineered to cost-effectively support the changing requirements that are frequently necessary for customers to adapt, grow, and maintain a competitive edge in their business. Independent research has demonstrated that, on the whole, Microsoft Dynamics offers a higher return on investment (ROI) and lower overall costs than other major competitive offerings. Microsoft Dynamics licensing is designed to be cost-effective. It is based on concurrent users versus named users and has no imposed user minimum or maximum, so it evolves with you for the life of your business.

Microsoft offers an industry-leading vertical partner ecosystem. Microsoft is in a position to deliver vertical solutions to hundreds of different industries on a local basis; it can bring these solutions to market on a local level. Microsoft's Certified for Microsoft Dynamics program offers solutions designed to meet the needs of specific industries. It can provide customers with the benefits of a rich portfolio of tested, reference supported solutions developed by ISVs that have met Microsoft’s highest solution and organizational certification standards.

Customer evidence: Learn how switching to Microsoft Dynamics benefited other companies

See how companies using Oracle products solved real business problems and benefited from switching to Microsoft Dynamics.

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Network solutions leader projects $1.5 million savings with switch to Microsoft Dynamics

Based in Fremont, California, Network Equipment Technologies (NET) develops, distributes, and supports voice and data communications equipment for multiservice networks. Because the company’s Oracle system did not enable flexible product configuration, NET maintained as many as 37,000 derivative part numbers in its system. In 2006, NET decided to implement Microsoft Dynamics instead of upgrading its Oracle ERP system. Using the built-in product configuration capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics, NET reduced the number of parts in its system by more than 85 percent. The company anticipates a total estimated savings of U.S.$1.5 million in the first year.

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Floral goods manufacturer gains time-saving insight with business software

Established in 1946, family-owned Syndicate Sales leads the floral hard goods industry. Syndicate Sales had used JD Edwards from Oracle, but found that employees relied heavily on IT staff to generate routine reports and extract information in response to queries. After evaluating a number of alternatives, Syndicate Sales chose to switch to Microsoft Dynamics. Now employees quickly and easily access the business information that they need, and have confidence that their information is accurate and up to date.

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Tactical gear maker meets growth demands with business management solution

BlackHawk Products Group, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, produces high-end military, law enforcement, and outdoor gear products. Struggling to keep track of inventory and manufacturing costs with their existing system, BlackHawk decided it needed a more robust business management solution. After evaluating SAP and Oracle, the company chose to implement Microsoft Dynamics due to the flexibility and low cost of ownership.

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Branded drug maker solves complex budgeting and reporting challenges—affordably

Teva Neuroscience Inc. needed to upgrade to a new system that could handle a greater volume of transactions through a short accounting cycle. After opening a branch in Montreal, Canada, the Kansas City, Missouri-based company also needed a more complete business management solution to meet its increasingly complex reporting needs, as well as a system that made it simple to drill down into financial data for better budgeting and forecasting. After testing Microsoft Dynamics in its business environment, Teva found it made little economic sense to deploy Oracle when a less complex, more affordable solution met its needs.

Questions to ask when evaluating an Oracle solution

- What does a typical Oracle support team look like? How many administrators are there? How many developers? How many support personnel?

- Does your proposal include the use of an Oracle Accelerator for streamlined implementation? What specifics actually govern this offer? How will the cost and time of implementation be affected if I want the solution modified to meet my unique business practices?

- Will I have to conform my business to match Oracle's ideas of how to run a business in order to get the benefits of the rapid implementation? How am I able to realize a competitive edge in my business processes if I am just taking what is given?

- Do I have to license named users instead of concurrent users or user sessions? What is the difference, and what do you see as the pros and cons of each?

http://www.pargesoft.com/ Microsoft Dynamics Global Partner