Microsoft Launches AX 2009 SP1, Along with Mobile Solutions Capability

Microsoft introduced its first service pack to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 at the Convergence Copenhagen 2009 trade show.

The latest version of AX was introduced on a rolling basis from last June through September, and according to Kees Hertogh, Director of Dynamics AX Product Management, has received "great feedback around the globe." He declined, however, to provide specific data on how many companies have upgraded or adopted the new version. Dynamics AX in all its forms is used by about 10,000 customers, he said.

The service pack fills in gaps in the following areas, according to Hertogh:

• Hot fixes, which haven't been especially serious, since AX 2009 is "one of the most stable we have introduced."
• Capabilities around electronic signatures, allowing users like scientists who develop pharmaceuticals, for example, to sign off legally on official filings;
• Time zone capabilities, allowing for unexpected switches in time zones by particular countries or states within the U.S.
• Supported right-to-left languages, enabling calendar function to work in those languages;
• Enterprise Portal Redeployment, which aims to ease redeployment of Enterprise Portal (EP) components from the AOT to various EP Server Machines. An added executable to the system automates many manual steps for redeploying EP components.
• Enabling of Windows Essential Business Server 2008. EBS centralizes configuration and monitoring of server products, and is designed for midsize businesses with up to 300 users.
• Support of Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, the next-generation hypervisor-based server virtualization technology, so as to lower deployment cost via more effective utilization of hardware
• Support of Windows Essential Business Server.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 SP1 also enables Microsoft Dynamics Mobile Platform, allowing partners to build mobile solutions and customers to get the information using mobile devices.

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