Microsoft strengthens its commitment to Enterprise ERP seg

Source : Moneycontrol.com Microsoft Corporation India Pvt. Ltd. today announced the launch of Dynamics AX 4.0, its ERP solution for the Enterprise segment in India. With this announcement, Microsoft reinforces its focus on the Enterprise ERP application space. The company already has a leading share in the Small and Medium Business ERP segment. Microsoft now aims to replicate the same success in the Enterprise ERP segment.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 is an adaptable, scalable, global business-management solution for enterprises, that works like and with familiar Microsoft® software and helps organizations gain competitive advantage. Through the use of Web services and other enhancements, the highly anticipated new release delivers a complete Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) package to automate and streamline processes across a company’s financials, customer relationships, business services, human resources and the supply chain.

Since its launch in the US, Dynamics AX 4.0 has continued its momentum - now with more than 7,000 deployments across the globe and is sustaining traction by adding an average of 100 customers to its base every month. AX 4.0 is Microsoft’s second offering in the ERP segment. Last year the company had announced Dynamics NAV, targeted at the Small and Medium Business segments it has recorded significant success across India. In just over a year and a half its customer base has grown to over 550 enterprises across verticals.

Talking about Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0, Microsoft’s latest offering for the ERP space in India, Mr. Doug Hauger, Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft India, said, “AX 4.0 will help us augment our value proposition for Enterprise customers and empower their people to re-engineer business processes to increase productivity and drive business change The solution has been designed to work seamlessly across heterogeneous environments. The sheer simplicity, ease of deployment and familiarity of the user interface would facilitate increased adoption and use. Decision makers too will be able to gain a critical, complete, view of their business processes in a simple, pertinent and easy to comprehend format resulting in confident and informed decision-making”.

According to IDC, the ERP market is expected to maintain a CAGR of 18% over the period 2006 - 2010. In 2006, the ERP market in India was estimated at USD 155.3 million. In verticals spend ERP adoption was lead by discrete manufacturing industries like automotive, consumer products and electronics followed by the services industry.

Commenting on AX4.0 general availability Mr. Sushant Dwivedy, Business Group Lead, Microsoft Dynamics, Microsoft India said, “Industry and vertical specific solutions are the need of the day and increasingly Enterprises are asking for customized solutions that address their business needs specifically. However, with most ERP implementations the complexity of the interface and the time taken to deploy and master the implementation prove to be big deterrents. By leveraging the familiar user interface, Microsoft has sought to simplify the entire process. We have consciously worked with customers and partners to test and strengthen the solution before bringing it to market and already have solutions for the Manufacturing, ITES, Construction, Automotive and Industrial equipment industries”.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 includes a number of new and improved features and benefits:

· Application Integration Framework. Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 includes the Application Integration Framework (AIF), which lets organizations extend the solution by easily inserting business logic from other vendors’ applications with no dependencies created within the core solution.

· Additional supply chain and service management functionality. Microsoft Dynamics AX allows users to create a seamless path from initial trading partner compliance to a radio frequency identification (RFID)-enabled supply chain. Improved supply-chain management functionality allows users to facilitate intercompany trading and controls, enable subcontracting, provide better shop-floor control, and improve bill of materials calculations.

· Roles-based functionality. Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 delivers on Microsoft Corp.’s vision of providing next-generation business value to customers in the form of powerful roles-based activity and breaks new ground within the ERP market for familiar and flexible solutions tailored to an individual’s role within the organization. With the look and feel of the Microsoft Office system, Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 gives users a head start with a consistent and familiar user experience.

· Enhanced enterprise portal. Adoption of Microsoft Windows® SharePoint® Services within the Microsoft Dynamics AX enterprise portal sets a new standard for out-of-the-box collaboration capabilities.

· Deep vertical platform with new RFID functionality. For customers seeking deep vertical functionality beyond the core solution, Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 provides a platform on which partners can extend the solution with their own particular vertical expertise. With RFID built into the platform, organizations will have greater visibility within their supply chain and will be able to better manage their supplier networks from end to end, from raw materials to point of sale.

· Ability to better leverage existing investments. Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 integrates with and utilizes functionality available with other Microsoft products, enabling users to make better use of their current investments.

Endorsing the innovation benefits of the AX 4.0 platform for the partners, Mr. J. Raghunathan, Vice President, Sundaram Infotech said, “Microsoft’s understanding of the fact that though ERP solutions are built to handle complex things, they need to provide a simple, comprehensible user experience has inspired the development of AX4.0. The new RFID capabilities which simplify supply chain management and the in-depth integration with Microsoft technologies will enables partners like us to deliver vertical specific applications and solutions for a diverse customer base. So far in the pilot phase we have received a very encouraging response from customers in India. We are confident that going forward this will translate into increased deployments”.

Welcoming the new offering from Microsoft, Mr. K.Ganapathi, General Manager –IT, G.M. Pens (franchisee manufacturers and distributors for Reynolds in India) said, “When making strategic IT investment decisions, Enterprises want solutions that can integrate with their existing systems and infrastructure. Microsoft Dynamics AX4.0 meets these prerequisites effortlessly. We have done a thorough analysis of the solution and believe that it will meet our requirements well and simplify the entire ERP process in our organization”.