While Oracle, SAP, HP, and IBM duke it out over software supremacy, Microsoft has quietly asserted itself as a serious alternative with its Dynamics enterprise software solutions. What once might have seemed like random inconsequential acquisitions for Microsoft have now turned into a serious element within their collection of software offerings.
Part of this new success Microsoft has enjoyed is because each Dynamics sale generates additional sales of other Microsoft products, all of which function in harmony. Most businesses want cohesive software that seamlessly passes information from one program to another.
Another recipe for Microsoft's new-found success has been their gradual momentum toward Azure cloud capabilities. Azure is more than just another software-as-a-service (SaaS) package. It is a complete software and development platform, which already includes Dynamics CRM and will become more tightly integrated with Dynamics NAV, SL, GP, and AX. It is a strategy that Microsoft calls Software-plus-Service, and it will drive the enterprise software market toward stabilization between two extremes: the old model of on-premise site-licensed software and cloud-based software as a service.
While Microsoft has always been strong in the small and medium enterprise software market, the new Azure stack, which brings together Live Services, SQL Services, AppFabric, SharePoint, and Dynamics CRM, will undoubtedly turn a lot of heads in the large enterprise market, while the other companies battle for strategic position and struggle to redefine themselves.
Kirill Tatarinov, head of the Dynamics division, now reports directly to Steve Ballmer, a sign that Dynamics now plays a pivotal role in Microsoft's enterprise software plan. It will definitely make 2011 a very interesting year for ERP and CRM software purchasing. With so many changes coming from multiple directions, now is a better time than ever to reevaluate your current ERP solutions and possibly look for something new.
by ERP Software Blog Editors, Find a Microsoft Dynamics ERP Expert
I found 2010 to be an interesting year for ERP and CRM software,
but now I totally agree that 2011 will even be more interesting.