In Wake of Questions and Confusion, Microsoft Highlights Cloud-Ready Features of Dynamics NAV 2009 R2 Release

Despite some recent complaints by highly regarded Microsoft Dynamics NAV professionals on the overall quality, composition, and purpose of the Dynamics NAV 2009 R2 release, Microsoft wants users to know that there are, in fact, new features and capabilities worth discovering.   

With a new Connector for Dynamics CRM, Role Tailored Client Access for Remote and Roaming Users, Microsoft Application Virtualization Support, and an Online Payment Service for NAV 2009 R2, Microsoft appears to be focused on adding a combination of features designed to position future Dynamics NAV releases to more closely resemble a "cloud-ready" solution in the quickly changing ERP marketplace rather than, as Eric Wauters noted, providing a "complete new version" of the product.

In a recent online meeting of the NAV User Group, Microsoft's Tom Taylor explained several of the new features that are part of Microsoft's cloud vision.

"The Connector for Dynamics CRM is a cloud application as well as the online payment services feature," Taylor told the attending users.  "And the role tailored client can run across the Internet. You can connect the role tailored client through internet or use application virtualization to push the client down and it's a virtual image of the RTC on the desktop.  And it allows you to connect to a hosted environment."

"The connector allows Dynamics CRM on premise or Online to connect to other Dynamics applications whether it be NAV, GP or AX," he said. "It's only available with NAV 2009 R2 and will run with CRM 4.0 and CRM 2011."

The connector has an integration database that sits in between the CRM application and ...