At NRF 2013, Microsoft Dynamics for Retail Broadens Its Omnichannel Story

Microsoft came to the National Retail Foundation's 2013 annual conference, which wraps up today, with a new brand name for its Dynamics-based solution, a vision for a "complete shopping experience" focusing on a broad range of retail requirements, and an updated "omnichannel" commerce engine driven by Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2 technology that connects improved e-commerce, mobile, clientelling, and point of sale capabilities Windows 8 devices.

Microsoft has updated the branding of its latest retail offering based on Dynamics AX 2012, putting the focus on the broadening  range of capabilities and workloads, supported by other Microsoft products, including Windows 8 and SharePoint.  The use of the name "Microsoft Dynamics for Retail" represents a conscious decision to shift that focus, according to  Michael Griffiths, global product industry director, Retail & Distribution, Microsoft Business Solutions.

"Since we first launched the solution, the major acceleration of our industry strategy, with the solution deployed in 38 countries around the world, our vision has always been retail and omnichannel," says Griffiths. "With this release we have a fully integrated storefront with SharePoint and POS with Windows Mobile 8 and when you look at those components, AX is a powerful core but the solution is truly broad to include technology for online stores, point of sale, and all these different areas. That's part of the naming and branding...It really becomes Dynamics as the unifying fabric that ties together all these Microsoft technologies as a solution that you can bring to retail in so many different areas."

Microsoft positions the latest version of Dynamics for Retail as the most widely available end-to-end solution in the retail industry, with the focus on its omnichannel vision. "...