Dynamics AX and Enterprise 2.0 (AKA: Web 2.0)

"both composite apps and mashups are intended to reduce the overall effort of development, improve functionality, promote data consistency, and increase the net output of useful software."
(blogs.zdnet.com/Hinchcliffe)

As I move forward in my discussion's on Web or Enterprise 2.0 and the future of Dynamics AX, I wanted to dive further into the concept of Mashups or Composite Applications. As you read the tag line I posted above from the blog entry you see, it talks about the goal behind IT depts. bringing in these composite / mashup / SOA type architecture in, and what is gained in doing so.

So what is gained with this new technology? The end results is a customer self service based approach to technology and software. It's to give more power and control to the information worker, that in turn takes certain task off the shoulders of the IT dept. allowing the IT dept to focus more on improvements, and therefore
completing the circle of life! LOL :-)

Now the last part I added on, because well, we all need to laugh! Speaking in real terms, what I should said means that the given user or information worker will be given more flexibility to get and work with the information they need, and not have to depend on the IT dept. to do so. Reporting data, and gettin data, will not need a full time report writing staff. Doing so will be much easier, and controlled, while at the same time decentralized. I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but this oxymoron is becoming the future of what IT, software, and the end user relationship will be like. It will become decentralized, while at the same time more controlled, and flexible. Things will be more intertwined, while runnable decoupled, disconnected, and sometimes not even knowing of each other.

So now we have the concept right? If not, that's ok, because no one has the full concept... the reason why that is, is because the full concept is still just a concept. So where is the meat 'n potatoes for this? How can this benefit me now? How do I prepare and start to move towards this? Well in the next year you will see technology that will start to allow some of these mashups to become useful and
used within the Dynamics AX scope. The next release of SharePoint and Office system will allow for interaction to where a given user can have a SharePoint Portal (ie: DAX Enterprise Portal) and on that portal page have Excel and Business Score Card web parts. Through the use of the Snap In program, a consultant firm could then develop a Snap In that allow for data to be pulled into the Business Score Card web part and Excel Web Part for Inventory Counting, or Project Time Sharing and Time Reporting, etc. etc.
This is next year folks!! Not two years, not 3, but next year, within months even.

So our Dynamics AX mashup's can be done even now, without this technology. It takes more custom programming, but with the current release you can create SharePoint web parts that interact in such ways and allow for mashups of different, disconnected applications to feed a infomration workers process, so they can do their job in a quicker way, that depends less and less on the IT dept., which means that IT dept, DOES NOT GET REPLACED but rather is freed up to preform more IT related task, to continue the improvements and not have the burdens associated with the past lifes.

As this technology progresses and matures, then the processes will come out of the box, and less custom code will be needed to achieve these mashups or composite applications. Well I have rambled on enough about this for now. My next step is to take what we have been talking about and actually apply it! Check back soon as I start to discuss what we will tackle with this, and what is will allow for our end users, and how we will achieve it with current, and future technologies!

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