Microsoft Confirms Details of Upcoming Dynamics AX "6" Version

Microsoft today revealed more details about the architecture of the next version of Microsoft Dynamics AX, code-named Microsoft Dynamics AX "6".  The new release will focus on improved capabilities for enabling ISV to more easily build, maintain, and upgrade custom solutions, as well as delivering several pre-built industry solutions.

Updates in Dynamics AX "6" include the following:

• A model-driven, layered architecturethat accelerates software development, requiring less coding than building from scratch and easing maintenance and upgradability.
• Pre-built interoperabilitywith the Microsoft Application Platform, including Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 and Visual Studio 2010, and other Microsoft technologies such as Microsoft Office 2010 and Microsoft SharePoint 2010. This allows developers to spend less time on technical integration and compatibility, and increases the breadth of developer resources available to ISVs.
• Pre-built capabilities for five industries and 38 countries, providing a rich foundation that allows ISVs to rapidly expand their solutions to new verticals and geographies.

This architecture update has long been in demand by customers seeking more flexible business process customization. An updated model-driven architecture has been in the works at Microsoft for some time, with model and service layer development efforts, code named "Oslo", revealed in 2007. The work was also noted specifically by Mike Ehrenberg in a February 2010 blog post.

However, the plans for a centralized "Oslo" repository for modeled objects were dropped in late 2010 following concerns from partners and customers. Instead of a centralized repository for accessing various application models, separate applications like Dynamics AX will manage ...