Microsoft Highlights Steps Toward Simplicity of Dynamics AX 2012 at WPC

Microsoft has revealed new details this week at its Worldwide Partner Conference on how the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 release will improve simplicity for customers not just through the known enhancements to the product and its architecture, but through the new RapidStart Services application and a new, simpler packaging and licensing model. 

RapidStart Services will be available for use publicly by Dynamics AX partners in September - some are already testing it - and will be an Azure-hosted service for use by partners while standing up new AX 2012 instances.  The goal, according to Kees Hertogh, director of product management for Dynamics AX, is to run through the varied and sometimes non-sequential configuration steps of Dynamics AX more quickly to cut down on much of the repeatable and often time consuming work that slows down time to value for a customer.

"It's almost like TurboTax for ERP," Hertogh explained. "You get to look at all the details together and make sure you don't make any mistakes.  It's a pretty powerful technology that we see a lot of potential in."  The service will expand to a broader list of countries as well as to the Dynamics NAV and GP products some time in the future.  Hertogh also noted there will be opportunities for partners to expand the tool based on their own industry-specific implementation methods and packaged IP.

Simplified Packaging and Licensing

Dynamics AX 2012 will also see an update in its pricing and packaging model.  It will be a server model with four levels of users, ranging from self-service users to full featured users.  Hertogh described the approach as "drastically simplified" over the existing model, and also noted that the changes are not aimed at changing pricing of the product. 

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