Directions EMEA Preview: Dynamics partners plan for next stage of their D365 Business Central journey

Microsoft Dynamics partners from around Europe, the Middle East and Africa are already preparing to gather in The Hague, The Netherlands in October for the annual Directions EMEA conference. Organizers expect that, following on the launch of Dynamics 365 Business Central, the impact of the cloud-based solution will be top of mind for ISVs and VARs, both technically and commercially.

Partner goals at the conference

Since Microsoft's launch of Business Central in April, partners have stepped up efforts to adapt to the new approach and technology. Torben Kragelund, co-founder and board member of Directions EMEA, says there is a lot for them to learn, particularly the new development environment, the new ways of selling, and pricing structure. Partners will be trying to get that information from Microsoft and the early adopters in the channel, while learning about the changes in the ecosystem in general.

Because many of the partners attending the event have been in the NAV business for up to 25 years, customer migration is likely to be a key topic of conversation."We're hoping to help them accelerate their sales, development and implementation of cloud solutions," says Kragelund. Business owners, technical professionals, functional consultants, sales and marketing teams will all be focusing on how to change over to the new technology and a pure cloud business model.

The rise of Business Central

So far, there is a lot of attention being paid to Dynamics 365 Business Central, Kragelund says. Working in an ISV, he is seeing lots of request related to compatibility ...