Dataflex may face legal hurdles, but Microsoft partners must focus on other factors

With Inspire 2020 winding down, we now know that Microsoft will continue to release a steady stream of new and updated Power Platform and Dynamics 365 offerings in the new fiscal year. And while experts are eager to get their hands on the latest technology, partner executives will be watching with concern and wondering how they will be able to do what Microsoft cannot: showcase the product line while stripping away the distractions like product naming, roadmaps, and licensing.

Dataflex dilemma

The biggest update in the business applications segment, by far, has been the introduction of Microsoft Dataflex and Dataflex Pro. Technically speaking, Dataflex is not even part of the Power Platform.

But from a technical heritage perspective Dataflex mostly is part of Power Platform. But not from a brand perspective. But it is  from a governance perspective. But not from a licensing perspective. But from a roadmap perspective?

If you're a partner, do you really want to talk about these things with most clients and prospects?

And before getting into the details of the latest vision or technical capabilities, which haven't been fully spelled out in public yet, it is worth stopping to consider a major potential hurdle in Microsoft's midst: the fact that software vendor Data Access Corporation has multiple, registered U.S. trademarks for the "DATAFLEX" brand as software.

Did Microsoft somehow miss this basic branding activity of checking the marketplace? The company would not comment on the topic via a spokesperson and Data Access has publicly staked their claim to the brand, stating that the matter is being referred to their legal advisors.

"If they did so little research on the name, ...