Microsoft Announces New Tools for Dynamics AX: CRM Connector and Data Migration Tool for Oracle

Microsoft has announced new resources for Dynamics AX that aimed at integrating existing customers more tightly onto the Microsoft business technology stack with supported tools to integrate Dynamics systems and ease migration to Microsoft SQL Server.

The new resources include an out-of-the-box connector between Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 and a data migration assistant for Dynamics AX customers moving from an Oracle database to SQL Server.

According to Microsoft, the CRM connector offers extendable integration with on-premise and online Dynamics CRM solutions with out-of-the-box entity mappings.  And the basic integration can be extended by adding new maps, or leveraging the SDK to create custom integrations. (Extensibility also confirmed by senior product manager for Microsoft Dynamics ERP)

Working with their partners, customers can receive the connector software as a benefit of their enhancement plan.

Dynamics AX customers and partners have been dealing with the challenges of integrating with Dynamics CRM for some time, at least since the release of Dynamics AX 2009.  At that time, partners were looking to third party connectors while Microsoft was still "thinking hard about how high a priority [it will be] to build our own connector."

Connectors between Dynamics CRM and Dynamics GP, as well as Dynamics CRM and Dynamics NAV, are also available, and Microsoft says the new AX connector builds on the same technology. A connector for Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics SL is planned for the second half of 2011, according to Microsoft.

"The availability of a connector between the Microsoft Dynamics ERP and Microsoft Dynamics CRM applications allows us to focus on our key areas of expertise," said ...