MICROSOFT DYNAMICS

Microsoft Dynamics is a line of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and CRM (customer relationship management) applications developed by the Microsoft Business Solutions group within Microsoft. Microsoft Dynamics applications are delivered through a network of reselling partners who provide specialized services. There are 300,000 businesses that use Microsoft Dynamics applications and 10,000 Microsoft Dynamics reselling partners worldwide.

Organization & Executive team
The Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) business group is led by Kirill Tatarinov, a corporate vice president; Michael Park, a corporate vice president who leads the group’s sales, marketing, and operations teams; Hal Howard, a corporate vice president for Microsoft Dynamics ERP development; and Craig Unger, general manager for Microsoft Dynamics CRM. The Microsoft Business Solutions group is part of the Microsoft Business Division, led by president Stephen Elop, who reports to Steve Ballmer, president and CEO of Microsoft Corporation.

Operations
The Microsoft Business Solutions group is based in Bellevue, Washington, approximately 20 minutes from the Microsoft campus in Redmond. The business group also has principal offices in Fargo, North Dakota, and Vedbæk, Denmark, north of Copenhagen.

The business group’s financial results are reported on a quarterly basis as part of the Microsoft Business Division results.

History
The Microsoft Business Solutions group was formed in part from Microsoft’s acquisition of two software companies: Great Plains Software, acquired in April 2001, and Navision, acquired in July 2002.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM entered the CRM market in 2003. The Microsoft Business Solutions group now includes the Microsoft Dynamics ERP product group and Microsoft Dynamics CRM product group.

Microsoft Dynamics industry solutions include Microsoft Dynamics POS (Point of Sale), introduced in 2009, and Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS).

Products
Microsoft Dynamics is a line of enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) applications.

Microsoft Dynamics ERP is an enterprise resource planning application primarily geared toward midsize organizations as well as subsidiaries and divisions of larger organizations. Microsoft Dynamics ERP includes four primary products:

Microsoft Dynamics AX (formerly Axapta)
Microsoft Dynamics GP (formerly Great Plains Software)
Microsoft Dynamics NAV (formerly Navision)
Microsoft Dynamics SL (formerly Solomon IV)
Also included are retail solutions:

Microsoft Dynamics RMS
Microsoft Dynamics POS 2009
 

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a multi-lingual customer relationship management application from Microsoft that provides sales, service, and marketing capabilities, and includes Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, the online version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Industry solutions
Microsoft Dynamics offers ERP and CRM solutions for a range of industries. Solution providers build on the standard functionality in Microsoft Dynamics ERP and Microsoft Dynamics CRM applications to deliver industry-specific solutions through a network of channel partners. Industry solutions for Microsoft Dynamics ERP address needs for the following industries:

Construction
Distribution
Education
Financial services
Government
Healthcare
Manufacturing
Not for profit
Professional services
Retail
 

Certified for Microsoft Dynamics
Solutions that are Certified for Microsoft Dynamics are thoroughly tested and proven to meet Microsoft’s highest standards for partner solutions. These solutions are designed for unique business and industry needs and tested and integrated with Microsoft Dynamics applications. In 2009, there were 750 Certified for Microsoft Dynamics solutions worldwide, with dozens more in the pipeline for 2010.

The Microsoft Dynamics Solution Finder helps customers find partner-built solutions that work with Microsoft Dynamics.
 

Competitors
SAP Business One is integrated ERP software that targets the business requirements of small and midsize enterprises; it competes with Microsoft Dynamics globally.

Sage Business Solutions provides end-to-end financial accounting software, ERP software, CRM software, and business intelligence (BI) software solutions to small, midsize, and large businesses.

NetSuite is a vendor of on-demand, integrated business management software suites for mid-market enterprises and divisions of large companies.

Epicor develops enterprise software targeted at mid-market companies primarily in the manufacturing, distribution, retail, hospitality, and services industries.

Convergence: The premier Microsoft Dynamics event for customers, partners, team members, and industry experts