VARs See Mixed Success on Microsoft’s Dynamics NAV 'Buy One License Get Two Free’ Deal

Earlier this summer, Microsoft Corp. ran a year-end promotion for new Microsoft Dynamics NAV customers. The deal, which ended the third week in June, was buy one full Dynamics NAV license get two free.

The question: Did that promotion actually bring in new business?

The answer: Maybe, maybe not.

Although the promotion ran in the U.S. as well as the UK, we talked to partners in the UK where there has recently been some friction among Dynamics NAV partners.

"The NAV offer was purely a Microsoft year-end one, i.e. it was only available if ordered by the end of June," said Ron Blechner, Director, Star Computers Ltd. "They've done this sort of thing most year ends and rather than driving new business it tends, in our case at any rate, to provide us extra discount for placing orders before the Microsoft year end. It may thus marginally speed up orders being placed but unlikely to generate any extra business to what was going to happen anyway."

Peter Elgar, marketing manager, Concentrix Ltd., said the savings of the buy one get two free promotion would have saved companies in the UK about 4,000 pounds ($6,500).

"It was a very generous offer and made it a compelling event for customers that were thinking of implementing NAV," he said. "So if they were thinking about it, it pushed them over the line effectively."

According to one partner, who asked not to be identified, "What you probably won't know is that in the UK at least, the offer was conditional with signing up for three years ...