Remote Desktop Services for Dynamics GP, NAV on Azure: A stepping stone on road to full web client adoption?

Since July, service providers have been able to offer hosted Microsoft Dynamics GP solutions through Remote Desktop Services (RDS) running on Windows Azure virtual machines.

As we heard in MSDW's recent look at the partner perspective on Dynamics GP and NAV in Azure, the availability of RDS is an important benefit, especially in the short term when some features still require it and many customers may be unwilling to transition to the web interface.  

In the recent blog post RDS Solution for Dynamics GP on Azure, Microsoft program manager Jay Manley explained that the option is available to service providers who obtain the RDS SALs (Subscriber Access Licenses) through a Microsoft Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA).  (To read more about licensing RDS with Windows Azure Virtual Machines read the FAQ here.)

A Move to Hosted Environments

While the Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 web client offers browser access to the application, Manley notes that there are a few peripheral components that require Remote Desktop Services (formerly known as Terminal Services) for access in a hosted solution. As a result, it is now possible to offer these Microsoft Dynamics GP components on Windows Azure Virtual Machines using session-based hosting through RDS. 

Rob Helm, managing vice president of research at Directions on Microsoft in Kirkland, Wash., isn't surprised that Microsoft has made yet another move into the hosted space. "With its Azure infrastructure, Microsoft is taking on cloud providers like NetSuite," Helm states by utilizing its "enormous collection of data centers" that it's now opening up ...