Cloud ERP Will Have to Wait: Azure Support Cut from Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 RTM

The RTM release of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 will not include an Azure-hosted offering from Microsoft, it was revealed this week. 

More public information from Microsoft on the plans and timing for Dynamics NAV's availability in Azure is expected in the coming weeks.

According to Dynamics NAV MVP Mark Brummel, blogging about his time at the NAV Tech Days event, the announcement came as something as a surprise even to an MVP:

"To me it was then a big supprise [sic] to go to the 'NAV on Azure' session at NavTechDays in Antwerp and hear that it was cut from RTM. Running NAV 2013 on Azure means renting a VM on Azure which is not even released yet.

Personally I think this is a bit dissapointing [sic] but I hope and trust that this will be 'back' in 8."

The key issue, as Brummel explains it, is that the NAV 2013 architecture does not yet support multi-tenancy--whether in Azure or in a partner-hosted environment.  Until that architectural capability is in place there is no real benefit of reworking the product for Azure's web role and worker role. 

So for the time being, expect Microsoft to continue to look to partners to manage hosted implementations in any of the existing options--through hosting partners or even with Azure VMs (which are currently in "Preview" status).   

For all the improvements the Microsoft Dynamics NAV team has brought to the new NAV 2013 release, from reporting to web services ...