Where Do the Microsoft Dynamics GP Experts Turn for Answers? A Preamble to GPUG DayONE

I remember the days when installing Microsoft Dynamics GP was limited to - gasp! - inserting some 20 disks into a 1.44 MB floppy drive and praying that all those floppies were good, otherwise risking having to call (the organization formerly known as) Great Plains to get a new set of disks. I have to agree, life was much easier then.

Fast forward some 20 years and now we are closer to the release codenamed GP "12". We see an increased reliance by the Microsoft Dynamics GP application on the rest of the Microsoft stack. Is this good, bad, or otherwise? Certainly not the topic of this article - though it may seem I am complaining. And don't get me wrong. I like where we are today with the product. However, this interdependency is challenging for many IT departments, even with the most qualified resources.

I know I will end up missing one, but so far, Microsoft Dynamics GP and its add-on products are dependent on SQL Server, SQL Server Reporting Services, Analysis Services, SharePoint, Internet Information Services, Microsoft Office, and any variation of configurations: database clusters, Terminal Servers, Citrix, XenApp, RemoteApp and the list goes on and on. By the way, you need to have some networking skills if you want to survive in this brave new age too. 

Do you think this strain is only felt by you, the customer? Your Microsoft Partner must also have the team in place to support any of the accepted (read: supported) deployment configurations that make sense for a customer. We are clearly seeing the demise of the 1-man-show shop (see New Expectations: Microsoft Seeks Dynamics Resellers Who Can Accelerate Growth) with the increased revenue and certification commitments placed on partners ...