Microsoft Unveils Dynamics AX-based “Next-Gen RMS” at Retail Realm in Vegas

Microsoft Dynamics RMS partners got their first look at the product that is designed to give small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) the advantages of Microsoft Dynamics AX, but without the unnecessary features.

RMS users and partners have long been stuck with what has become an outdated point-of-sale (POS) system - and one that had paled in comparison to Microsoft's Dynamics AX-based retail solution for enterprise businesses.

Michael Griffiths, Microsoft Dynamics global product industry director for Retail and Distribution, spearheaded the unveiling during his keynote speech Saturday at the Retail Realm 2013 conference at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The new RMS product, which is going under the working title of "next-gen RMS," will be released near the end of this year, Griffiths said.

The upgraded RMS product is also being referred to as "Retail SMB."

After his keynote, Griffiths sat down with a reporter from MSDynamicsworld.com, and explained why Microsoft Dynamics is still investing in RMS, and is committed to its SMB retail customers and partners.

The decision to upgrade RMS to something closer to what enterprise users have in AX was made "because ultimately,  what we have decided to do with any solution that Microsoft has [is] ... to first meet customer expectations and give partners the most competitive solution we can," Griffiths said.

The reboot of RMS, to more closely resemble to bells and whistles AX's enterprise users already enjoy, was what SMB users and RMS partners were clamoring for, Griffiths explained.

"As the architecture and technology evolves, we do the same with our products," he added. "We're here [...