Microsoft acquired Navision twenty years ago, and Dynamics 365 Business Central leader Mike Morton praised partners at the start of Directions EMEA 2022 for being a constant presence in the product’s success over the decades, from the days of Navision and Dynamics NAV to today. That time-tested heritage, along with Microsoft’s broader commitments to cloud services, security, and governance, should strengthen Business Central’s value proposition, he told the event audience today.

As the event began, Microsoft announced streamlined ISV app onboarding for Business Central, along with a range of enhancements to the ERP’s integration with other Microsoft products. And Morton revealed that Microsoft has re-organized its marketing team, placing Jared Spataro in an updated roll with overall responsibility for marketing of both Modern Work and the Business Applications Group.

In a recorded message for the event audience of nearly 3,000 in Hamburg, Spataro praised the work of partners, calling SMB the biggest growth area in his product portfolio and promising greater collaboration between the two worlds of productivity and business applications.

Microsoft representatives at the event also provided a range of examples of ways they hope to tie core Business Central user scenarios into other applications including Dynamics 365 Sales, Power Automate, Teams, Excel, and Power BI.