Microsoft unveiled Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010, an ERP platform for midsize
businesses, on April 20. The software includes business intelligence reporting
tools, functionality for streamlining approval scenarios for daily workflow,
and interoperability with Microsoft Office Unified Communications and other
software.
Using the software, a warehouse manager could detect any depletion in
supplies and reprovision with a few mouse clicks; in theory, Dynamics GP 2010
would even write the purchase order for the new materials in Word, and then e-mail
it to the appropriate vendor. The software includes more than 400 built-in
Microsoft SQL Reporting Services, personalized Role
Centers and interoperability with
Microsoft SharePoint; integration with Excel 2010 allows for additional slicing
and dicing of data.
In addition, Dynamics GP 2010 offers 350 integrated Web services,
interoperability with Microsoft Office Unified Communications and integration
with Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
"By combining the power of business applications and productivity
applications, we're able to support how people really work in their everyday
jobs," Crispin Read, general manager of Microsoft Dynamics ERP, said in an
April 20 statement.
"Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 will be available via Microsoft's extensive
partner network in Australia,
Canada, the Caribbean,
the Middle East, New
Zealand, South
Africa, the United
Kingdom and the United
States on May 1. ... French Canadian and
Latin American Spanish versions will be available in the second half of the
year," Microsoft's announcement said.
Microsoft
has been building out its end-to-end platforms for business processes,
likely in response to a rapid series of releases from Oracle and other rivals
in the same area. Earlier in April, Microsoft released a version of Microsoft
Dynamics CRM customized for nonprofits and
nongovernmental organizations, with additional tools such as donation and
pledge management, basic membership management, basic volunteer tracking,
support for online payment solutions, and campaign management.
Oracle's
own April moves, including the release of its Oracle Enterprise Performance
Management System 11.1.2 and Oracle Hyperion Public Sector Planning and
Budgeting, are designed for use both by businesses and in the public sector.
Microsoft is also positioning the online version of
its CRM as the alternative to cloud-based competition from
the likes of Salesforce.com. As part of that, Microsoft has been offering
add-ons and services to its online CRM at
no additional cost, as well as a variety of CRM
Accelerators designed to help businesses pull information from social networks
and Web interaction channels.
Enterprise Applications News & Reviews 
