Microsoft Convergence 2016 will still be a destination for Dynamics GP power users, product managers insist

Don't write off Convergence just yet. That is the message from Microsoft Dynamics GP product managers Pam Misialek and Errol Schoenfish who wrote on Thursday that "Dynamics GP and the community will continue to be a key member of this new era of Convergence including continued content for power users and similar roles."

That message is major departure from the assumptions and rumors that have widely circulated in the partner and user communities, and it has drawn positive comments in response.

Until now, Microsoft has had an ambiguous message on the future role of Dynamics ERP and CRM at Convergence. Wayne Morris, corporate vice president of marketing for Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) explained in an interview that as a business event, Convergence will still incorporate all the Dynamics ERP and CRM solutions - even the SMB products - but their role will be in line with the event's new goals, not its heritage as a Dynamics product-focused event. And Microsoft North America president Judson Althoff urged attendees at the closing keynote to consider going to the AXUG, NAVUG, GPUG, and CRMUG Summit events in October if they wanted a rich selection of Dynamics-focused content.

Dynamics community veterans - especially GP professionals - reacted negatively to the perceived change. Without rich GP content, GP MVP Mark Polino wrote that he envisioned Convergence becoming "more tradeshow, more sales floor, and more celebrity keynotes. To fit all of that in, something has to give and it's going to be content ... With content gone, most of our Dynamics GP clients won't go." And without users, and content, ...