MSDW: What’s Behind Microsoft’s Discontinuation of Dynamics Mobile for AX and NAV?

Over at MSDynamicsWorld.com a recent article on Microsoft decision to discontinue development of the Microsoft Dynamics Mobile was published.

Reading this article, by Erik Herman, really can get you thinking about what is going on with this decision.

Erik brings up some thought provoking points.:
"Companies today certainly remain concerned with using technology to maximizing employee productivity. Mobile applications and architectures will continue to evolve and become more pervasive in general business technology terms and in the context of enterprise wide systems and environments. So it begs the question, what's Microsoft's thinking and impetus behind this course of action?

The discontinuation could mean several things both within Microsoft and for the larger Dynamics partner community. It could mean that Microsoft is choosing to focus on things they do best with their Dynamics product line, which is the development of the existing backend infrastructure tools, while allowing their client partners to handle the front end development of applications working against their Dynamics systems. Or, perhaps there's a forthcoming acquisition that will offer Microsoft a fully developed mobile product line (speculation alert)."

As Erik points out, that last option is a specilation alert, which should be noted, is a real possibility.

From what I understand on this point, there is a hybrid set of reason's for this decision.

1.) Most mobile applications for Dynamics AX are either running third party developed solutions or fully customized to the customer needs Mobile UI to DAX processes and business logic.

2.) There is a purchase a foot, that will lead to easier development of mobile applications for accessing and working with X++ busienss logic, and the DAX controlled data model.

3.) Microsoft is wanting their partners to continue to be the source for such developments and vertical offerings, and they want to provide, as usual the platform in which those vertical offerings are developed and delivered on.

So that is my understanding, from what I know, about this topic.

Thanks Erik for taking the time and adding such great value. This is a topic that we should all keep our eyes on, as the mobile front will only demand more and more applications, and need to access DAX business logic and data.




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