Article

Microsoft reports strong partner, user uptake of Dynamics AX Lifecycle Services

by Linda Rosencrance
Contributing Writer, MSDW

Microsoft has rolled out the November 2014 release of Lifecycle Services (LCS) for Microsoft Dynamics AX with several new features, as well as new metrics on the tool's uptake in the user and partner community.

"Businesses that use the service today are realizing a 60% drop in days-to-resolution of their support cases," Microsoft said in a recent statement.

Much of the credit for that improvement comes from enhancements like the ability to provision new support environments in Azure that clone the exact AX server setup of the customer, down to the hotfixes and cumulative updates.

"So within [a couple] hours, the new [cloned] system is ready to be used. The customer, partner, and support engineers are looking at the same installation. [It is identical to the customer system but] without customizations, ISV solutions, or customer data," says Microsoft Dynamics ERP product marketing director Pepijn Richter. These capabilities have only recently been released from beta, but Richter says Microsoft is excited about the improvements in support this tool has offered.

"We are using technology to just make the process better," he says.

Richter also reports strong usage levels of LCS by Dynamics AX partners and users. 90% of AX partners are now using LCS and about one third of AX customers are using it, according to Richter. And those numbers are based on "real" usage of the tool, he says.

This release includes a reworked experience with several preview features. These include:

  • A new methodology tool for projects.
  • A starter methodology is provided, called Sure Step Agile. When a new project ...

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Dynamics AX Power Automate lifecycle services
About Linda Rosencrance

Linda Rosencrance is a freelance writer/editor in the Boston area. Rosencrance has over 25 years experience as an reporter/investigative reporter, writing for many newspapers in the metropolitan Boston area. Rosencrance has been writing about information technology for the past 16 years.

She has covered a variety of IT subjects, including Microsoft Dynamics, mobile security issues such as data loss prevention, network management, secure mobile app development, privacy, cloud computing, BI, big data, analytics, HR, CRM, ERP, and enterprise IT.

Rosencrance is the author of six true crime books for Kensington Publishing Corp.

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