Microsoft's announcement late last week that a Chicago auction firm has selected Dynamics AX 4.0 and CRM Online to help handle back-end transnsactions never mentions "recession," but that theme is definitely part of the background music. 

While Microsoft, as it usually does, plays up the fact that the firm, uBid, is replacing "both its Oracle E-Business Suite enterprise resource planning system and its Siebel CRM software," the bigger type goes to the idea that the "software change enables uBid to significantly reduce total cost of ownership."

Microsoft emphasizes "the Microsoft Dynamics solutions will enable (uBid) to create efficiencies in its IT platform specifically by supporting hardware, operating systems and databases, while reducing hiring needs."

Microsoft also makes much of the integration advantages uBid will enjoy. "Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 will allow uBid for the first time to separate out financials across its three legal entities and its holding company into separate general ledgers and to enjoy the benefits of forecasting. The new technology will make it easier for uBid to handle international shipping and varying vendor commission structures, and will automatically sort out taxation that applies differently to a variety of vendors. Microsoft Dynamics AX users can also access all the data and reports over the Internet, taking advantage of Microsoft SharePoint Services."

But in itemizing a list of "specific benefits to help uBid grow efficiently," the first on Microsoft's list is "cost savings." It states that "uBid anticipates it will reduce its hardware costs with its Microsoft solutions and will be able to keep its IT head count from growing because it will need far less support for its new technology."

Other benefits to uBid include being able "to sign up ...