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After new analyst report, Microsoft Dynamics AX partner channel split on progress in services delivery

by Jason Gumpert
Editor, MSDynamicsWorld.com

Gartner released its Magic Quadrant for Single-Instance ERP for Product-Centric Midmarket Companies in late November 2014, with Microsoft Dynamics AX just outside the Leaders quadrant for the second year in a row. Dynamics AX remained almost exactly where it was in 2013 - below the report authors' "ability to execute" threshold for the highest ranking.

Inside the Dynamics AX partner ecosystem, views on the Gartner report vary. Some feel the AX channel, which the report criticized for lacking enterprise services credibility, has made great strides as AX 2012 has matured with the AX 2012 R2 and R3 releases. Others agree with Gartner that progress has been too slow in incorporating the global system integrators (GSIs) that Microsoft wants to use to deliver more AX deals, especially for global companies.

Gartner's view

The 2013 demotion of Dynamics AX reflected what Gartner perceived to be a drop in "ability to execute". (Here's a snapshot of the 2013 results in an IFS news post in Turkish.) In 2014, AX held onto its spot in the rankings, perhaps with a nudge up in "completeness of vision." But the analyst firm sites some of the same concerns while also praising the software.

One main weakness, Gartner's analysts report, is that the AX channel doesn't have the maturity to serve large organizations that demand broad and deep industry expertise. From the report:

"Microsoft's biggest challenge remains its constrained ability ...

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About Jason Gumpert

As the editor of MSDynamicsWorld.com, Jason oversees all editorial content on the site and at our events, as well as providing site management and strategy. He can be reached at jgumpert@msdynamicsworld.com.

Prior to co-founding MSDynamicsWorld.com, Jason was a Principal Software Consultant at Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC), where he implemented solutions, trained customers, managed software development, and spent some time in the pre-sales engineering organization. He has also held consulting positions at CSC Consulting and Monitor Group.

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