Microsoft urges Dynamics RMS partners to embrace AX-based Retail Realm Essentials for next generation of SMB retail management

For veterans of Dynamics RMS, Microsoft's retail roadmap is a hot topic at this year's Retail Realm 2015 technology conference at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas. The conference drew about 250 attendees and almost 30 exhibitors, an increase from last year.

In the keynote at this week's event, Microsoft Dynamics representatives painted a picture of retail's omni-channel evolution and ways in which SMB retailers - and Microsoft partners - could best respond.

"The shopping journey is changing. There is a secular trend toward researching and shopping online," said Ashvin Mathew, general manager of Microsoft Dynamics Retail and commerce retail.

Online shopping and customer mobility are the retail tidal waves of today's consumer economy. Holiday sales for this past shopping season saw a 4.5 percent increase in in-store sales, but a jump of 13.9 percent in online sales and a 50 percent gain in mobile sales.

Mathew touted the benefits of Retail Realm Essentials (also referred to as "Retail Essentials" for short at the event), the Microsoft heir apparent to RMS for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Retail Essentials was first announced years ago as "NextGen RMS" he reminded the crowd.

Retail Essentials is based on Dynamics AX, the enterprise-scale ERP solution, but it is designed for SMBs. "The only difference between Retail Essentials and AX is switching on a key," Matthew said.

The Microsoft Dynamics general manager also tried to reassure partners and vendors that Microsoft had not abandoned RMS, nor had the company abandoned the retail SMB market.

"Four years ago, in Atlanta, there was skepticism if we could deliver by 2014," Mathew said. "We now have Retail Realm Essentials, which was launched in November and released ...