Microsoft prepares a brand new service-based Dynamics GP architecture for GP '14' release

The next major release of Microsoft Dynamics GP, called GP "14", will introduce an entirely new service-based architecture that will aim to make all of Dynamics GP business logic accessible by a new generation of applications.

Microsoft made the announcement today at GP Technical Airlift at its Fargo, North Dakota campus.

It is still early days for GP "Next" or GP "14" version plans. The new service-based architecture represents almost another complete re-write of the underlying architecture, Microsoft officials said, and it comes off of a recently completed rewrite of the user interface through creation of the web client.  The new architecture is aimed at positioning the product for what Microsoft hopes will be a new generation of cloud-enabled services and more highly specialized and flexible applications built by the partner ecosystem and delivered to a broader range of business users. 

The architectural changes in GP 14 will replace GP's existing web services and eConnect.

"We're at the right point for doing these things," R&D lead Kevin Racer told the GP Airlift audience today at the event's closing session, where the big announcements had been promised for many weeks.  

Racer laid out the vision for GP 14, involving a more modular architecture that includes a GP Service Bus, a set of core services, and UI services and rendering technology. But the full vision is a long term plan, Racer, emphasized. 

But the service-based architecture put forward today will likely see its first release within a year, with a goal of a developer preview planned in the first ...