Razzle and Dazzle Aside, Some Convergence Attendees Express Anxiety About Upgrading to AX 2009

Microsoft is providing Convergence attendees what it said is "a sneak peek into powerful new capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 (code-named "AX ‘5.0')," scheduled for release in the first half of 2008.

But customers attending Convergence who have been testing AX 2009 or attended demos divided over the issue of how difficult upgrading might be in practice. One user who has been testing AX 2009 for Microsoft said that he found it easier upgrading from AX 3.0 to AX 2009 than he had found it going from AX 2.5 to AX 3.0. "Much smoother," he said.

Other voiced fear that, as dazzling as AX 2009 might be, upgrading to the new program may be easier said than done. At user sessions, a few said that based on previous AX upgrades, they fear the upgrade process could be complicated and time consuming. "We built the upgrade process ourselves," said one IT person whose company has been testing AX 2009, noting that doing that consumed significant manpower.

Said another: "Make sure your data is ready to be upgraded. If you get an error message, you have to go back. In my case, you are talking about days."

One user complained that Microsoft under-estimates the effort required for upgrades. "I was told by Microsoft I could do an upgrade in a week. Yes, if I had 15 people on staff. I can't do an upgrade myself."

By not fully accounting for the costs of upgrades, Microsoft sometimes alienates corporate decisionmakers, said one user. He pointed out, "I have one of the smallest IT groups-only five people, for a $330 million company." So he has to be sure he can execute upgrades without completely sidetracking his team, which can make the company hesitate about going ahead.

In its press materials, Microsoft says ...