Now Anyone Can Pilot Microsoft Dynamics Lifecycle Services (LCS)

Did you know that now anyone may now sign up for Lifecycle Services (LCS)?  As long as you have a Windows Live account and you don't have to link it to a customer or partner account, it should work.

An alert on the matter comes from Microsoft Dynamics MVP Murray Fife, who reports he was just tipped off to the fact. Ever the skeptic, Fife tested it out himself, and sure enough, he said if you go to lcs.dynamics.com, you can log in using your personal (unattached) Windows Live ID.

If you're wondering why you should care about this, Fife has the answer: "Because it means that anyone is able to deploy out a Dynamics AX Demo System in Azure to test, to pilot, and also to train on. All that you have to do is pay for the Azure hosting fees."

You can get some training guides on Dynamics AX here, he said.

Lifecycle Services is also broadening its reach in 2015 in other ways. It will become more deeply embedded into Dynamics AX 7, and Microsoft will open it up for use with Dynamics CRM.

The initial release of Microsoft Dynamics AX 7 - expected in late 2015 - will be for Microsoft Azure, with the on-premise version expected six months later. Microsoft officials have said that they expect a little help from Lifecycle Services to take ...