Microsoft to Dynamics SMB ERP ecosystem: D365 Business Central is your convergence point

Microsoft officially launches Dynamics 365 Business Central on-premises on October 1, making it both the successor to the Dynamics NAV ERP product and the "single convergence point" for the company's business solutions for the mid-market.

Microsoft now has 220,000 SMB ERP customers in total, general manager Marko Perisic told the Directions North America audience on Sunday. About 160,000 of those customers run Dynamics NAV or Business Central. That means the other 60,000 run either Dynamics GP or SL.

In Microsoft's opening keynote address at the conference, the focus was on strengths of Business Central like its uptake by partners, especially in North America, its markedly improved user experience, which includes exposing more of the BI and AI features from the start of every deployment, and ambitious plans for future growth.

Business Central partner growth statistics

Perisic also introduced Toby Bowers, senior director overseeing go-to-market and partner strategy for Microsoft business applications, who shared updates on Business Central partner channel progress.

Microsoft is adding 30 new Business Central partners every month, Bowers said, with 592 partners selling the solution overall so far. There is 59 percent month-over-month customer growth for the product, with wins in 23 of the 26 industry segments Microsoft tracks against.

Sixty seven percent of Business Central revenue is coming from North American partners today, and Microsoft is calculating an average of a 46 percent increase in revenue when companies sell Business Central (he did not elaborate on that metric).

Bowers also shared several Business Central wins with the audience, including Kraft Heinz, InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG), Herc Rentals, and the San Jose Earthquakes MLS team.

Improving the user experience

Business Central boasts a user experience that is consistent ...