SQL Server 2008 R2, PowerPivot - BI for the Masses

With the year closing out fast, I thought I would point out some recent published articles, across the Microsoft Universe focusing on SQL Server 2008 R2, specifically in regard to enabling the 'BI For the Masses'.

Recently, I posted the following.:
Microsoft PowerPivot - On the way, and use with AX

In this post, I talked about Microsoft PowerPivot, the new technology that is going to be released with SQL Server 2008 R2. This mixed with Office, including SharePoint 2010, will truly start to enable Microsoft's vision of 'BI for the masses'.

Some recent articles were posted, covering PowerPivot, from different points of view. The first is from RCPMag.com, with the following post.:
SQL Server 2008 R2 CTP is Feature-Complete

In the above article, PowerPivot is one of the topics covered, being that SQL Server 2008 R2 is the foundation technology that enables this. From the article.:
"The November CTP of SQL Server 2008 R2 offers the first preview of Microsoft's new PowerPivot technology (formerly code-named "Project Gemini") and allows BI data collected from it to be shared to the company's SharePoint Server.

PowerPivot is designed to let business users create their own BI solutions in Excel with a new in-memory analysis engine that Microsoft says will work on millions of rows of data. "Users can manipulate the data in new ways to create BI solutions and then publish them to SharePoint to collaborate with other users," explains Fausto Ibarra, Microsoft's director of SQL Server product management."

Next, the MSDN - The Architecture Journal, did a very focused and detail article about PowerPivot, and the technologies that enable it. The post.:
Increasing Productivity by Empowering Business Users with Self-Serve BI



From the article.:
"When it comes to BI, there is a constant battle between business users and IT. Business users know the functional components of the business; they understand fully what they want to analyze and the questions that they want to answer. The IT team understands the structure of the data, the models, the cubes, data flow from the operational systems, the data warehouse, and the control mechanisms for the data. Business users often feel that IT is always saying “No” when they make a request for a data cube, report, chart, graph, or even raw data. The members of the IT team often feel that users are making unreasonable requests, with timelines that equate to boiling the ocean by first thing tomorrow morning. Self-serve BI attempts to solve this problem by providing a mechanism that will satisfy the analytical needs of users and provide the governance and control that IT requires.

In its latest release of Office Excel 2010 and Office SharePoint Server 2010, Microsoft attempts to provide the self-serve analytical needs of business users in a feature that is known as PowerPivot."

And...
"PowerPivot for Office SharePoint accomplishes two important tasks. The first is that it provides a home for the PowerPivot documents that users create in an environment that IT controls. The second is that it provides users throughout the organization the ability to view and interact with PowerPivot documents by using nothing more than their thin-client Web browser.

For business users, consuming a PowerPivot document is as simple as going to their Intranet site and clicking a document. The document then renders in their browser, and they can interact with the document and perform their analysis. In fact, the consumers do not even need to have Office Excel installed on their local computers to interact with the PowerPivot document. The result is that business users focus on their business analysis and are oblivious to the technology that enables the interaction."

As well as...
"Office Excel documents in Office SharePoint can use connection files that are managed by the IT department. For example, IT can create connection files to the source systems and then simply point end users to these approved connection files. This alleviates the need for IT to service numerous requests for connection information for every Office Excel file that is created for a business problem.

One of the most powerful features of Office SharePoint is called Excel Services. Excel Services is the ability to render Office Excel documents in a thin client (Web browser). An important Office Excel document can be saved to a document library, and the entire organization can then view and interact with the Office Excel document without having to leave their browser. The consumers of the document just navigate to their company intranet and click the Office Excel document.

This functionality is particularly powerful when thinking about rolling out Office Excel 2010 to provide PowerPivot functionality. Only a handful of business users actually produce content, with the rest just consuming it. Using Excel Services, the only users who will need to have Office Excel 2010 are the producers of content. The consumers can interact with the PowerPivot documents without ever having to leave their browser or install the latest version of Office Excel."

Now with this information, lets loop back around, and refocus this for use with Dynamics AX. Think again, Role Centers, and the dashboards that executives love to use and make use of. Role Centers are great! And these dashboards will become even more useful, with the ability for content producing users to have access to the needed data, and be able to create usable PowerPivot and Excel parts, that can be published through MOSS, and be made use of for the Role Center Dashboards.

This is the battle that happens a lot with BI tools. They are hard to setup, then complex to maintian and develop. With the latest releases of Office, SharePoint, SQL Server --- Microsoft is deliverying a product / technology in PowerPivot that is addressing this issue. And it can be used with Dynamics AX, and should be considered for upcoming, future implementations and anyone on older AX installs that are seeking and wanting self-service, BI solutions that are familiar and work native with their ERP investment.

To wrap this post up, I want to piont you to the PowerPivot home.: www.PowerPivot.com

That is a great resource to start checking out, and reading now. Also there is a really great blog called.: PowerPivotPro, which is operated by Rob Collie, who is a Microsoft employee of 13 years, and a self proclaimed Excel geek, Business Intelligence professional, all-around data enthusiast, and one of the founding engineers behind PowerPivot, Microsoft’s new self-service BI offering.

His blog has some great post, which I actually subscribe to through my Amazon Kindle. (Thanks Rob for a great blog!)

Also there is the Microsoft Team blog, for PowerPivot.: Microsoft PowerPivot - Team Blog, and with it's recent post, helps bring the Cloud (Azure) into focus with BI and PowerPivot. Check out the latest DataSource adds.:



Notice SQL Azure? That's right, all of these technologies, coming next year in full release, giving the ability to span, scale, dig and report --- all for helping make businesses and customers more Dynamic. And what fits in their best as the ERP platform? Microsoft Dynamics AX!

That's all for now, and I know it's a lot to chew on. Check back soon, as we kick off 2010 next week, and as I have a whole lot more to post about, including a new interview, or two. See you then!




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Merry Christmas!

Well, It's that wonderful time of year again. Christmas time!

I wanted to make sure and get out to everyone a very Merry Christmas!



May you and your families have a very blessed Christmas. I hope that your able to keep in your heart and mind of what this time of year celebrates. The birth of Yeshua --- Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!

Through him do we have the ultimate gift of salvation, because we are all sinners, and therefore all need this gift!

I will be back posting regular after the holidays, and might get some post in here and there during!

Again Merry Christmas!




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This time I was interviewed about Dynamics AX

DynamicsWorld just did a post, where they interviewed me about Dynamics, Microsoft and Dynamics AX.

The direct link can be found here.: Interview - Brandon George

From the interview.:
"Who has been your biggest influence/s in Microsoft Dynamics?

I have actually thought a good bit about this question, because I have not really ever given this much thought before. When you’re working non-stop - which is a good thing - sometimes such reflections are not ever presented in one's mind.

So,with that said, there are actually a couple of different answers, and these are in order of how often versus any kind of priority. First I would say my customers / clients. They actually influence me the most because of their different business models. The problems they try and do solve with Dynamics AX, which sometimes pushes the envelope for the technology side of Dynamics AX. The needs they have for integrating into so many different systems, business partners and the like.

Second I would have to say Sunrise Technologies, the great people that make up the company I am a part of. The amount of talent we have at Sunrise, is rare. It's the mix of talent, versus being just strong technical or functional. The well rounded, real people that make up this company and ask the whys and why not's that push ourselves and our clients for better outcomes.

Third would have to be the Dynamics Community and my fellow bloggers. So many great minds are out there now writing, posting, promoting, and sharing about the Dynamics line. When I first started blogging some five years ago, there was not much out there, now there is a wealth of knowledge that exists that is due to the community and also Microsoft."

It was very interesting to be on the other end of an interview. This is the same site that listed me in The DynamicsWorld Top 100 List 2009 - For Microsoft Dynamics.

I would like to thank Simone and DynamicsWorld for taking the time to interview me.

That's all for now, but check back soon, as more Dynamics AX related post are coming!




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Microsoft PowerPivot - On the way, and use with AX

Alright,

So one of the hot topics I have talked about, over the past year is BI. This makes sense, since, with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009, BI had a huge boost in what was offered out of the box, and platform and tools for creating BI.

As part of this coverage, I have been talking to you about Microsoft 'Project Gemini', how this will relate to Dynamics AX, and how it fits into Microsoft's vision of 'BI for the masses'.

Below is a list, in order of release, starting with the post I did in May of this year about Project Gemini.:

• The Future of Microsoft BI: Project 'Gemini'


• Dynamics AX 2009 BI: Practical use with SSRS and looking at OLAP


• MSDW: MDM vs. IDM


• More on the Future of BI with Microsoft, Dynamics AX and Project Gemini

So, now we know the actual product name for Project Gemini is PowerPivot, or Microsoft PowerPivot.



MSDN, has a great resource covering PowerPivot, which can be found here.:
PowerPivot Overview (SQL Server 2008 R2)

So what is PowerPivot, from it's base offering? MSDN puts it as.:
"PowerPivot refers to a collection of applications and services that provide an end-to-end approach for creating data-driven, user-managed business intelligence solutions in Excel workbooks.

PowerPivot integrates with Excel and SharePoint. In an Excel environment, PowerPivot for Excel provides a familiar authoring and analytical experience on the workstation. In a SharePoint farm, PowerPivot for SharePoint is the set of server-side applications, services, and features that support team collaboration on business intelligence data. SharePoint provides the platform for collaborating and sharing business intelligence across the team and larger organization. Workbook authors and owners publish and manage the business intelligence that they develop to their SharePoint sites."



So with PowerPivot, the push for BI to the Masses is actually taking shape. It's all about User Managed BI. And Excel is the UI for that BI.

Now we have all known for years, and have seen it more and more with every release of Dynamics AX, that Office is a part, and sometimes the User Interface for Dynamics AX. This will become even more true as the Dynamics AX Road Map becomes reality, and the technologies for BI, like PowerPivot are made use of with Dynamics AX.

So how will PowerPivot be used with Dynamics AX? Think Role Centers, and the dashboards that everyone loves. So web parts, that are created and make use of Excel services (enter MOSS), that are generated, published and collabarted on by end users, present in and made use of in Role Centers and EP for Dynamics AX reporting and analysis.

Look at how this works, from Querying PowerPivot Data in SharePoint.:


So that Analysis Services at the bottom of the above image, well those are the Same Analysis Services that attach to Dynamics AX transactional data, along with other possible transactional data, for anaylsis work to be performed on.

And the delivery, SharePoint! That means Dynamics AX Enterprise Portal, Role Center Web Parts, and Published PowerPivot workbooks, and Excel parts that live on your Exdecutives Dashboard for reporting and company wide information and drill down knowledge.

So can you see this taking shape, BI for the masses, and Dynamics AX? Notice the required technologies.: SQL Server 2008 R2, and SharePoint Server 2010.

Now, go back a few post, and check out the RoadMap and "Wave 14" for next year. All of these technologies, combined as a platform that Microsoft Dynamics AX is a part of, to enable customers and their business to be Dynamic, and be successful.

There is no other platform that is coming close to offering such abilities! This is very exciting, and should be for business users, and IT shops. This means more controlled and secure power in users hands, while allow control of Master Data or one version of the truth, platform wide.

That's all for now! Check back soon as more to come!




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Sunrise named to the first ever Bob Scott's Insights VAR Stars

Sunrise Technologies, Inc., the amazing VAR that I am apart of, recently was awarded 2009 VAR Stars award!

The full press release can be found here.:
Sunrise named to the first ever Bob Scott's Insights VAR Stars


"This award is made to honor organizations for factors such as quality performance and leadership in their arena. It is made without regard to the volume of annual sales made by these businesses, although their ability to achieve notable growth is considered," says executive editor Bob Scott.

Way to go everyone at Sunrise! It's hard work, focus on the customer, and expert knowledge that give Sunrise and it's customers the edge. I am very proud to be a part of the Sunrise family!







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Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 White Paper: Using the Version Control Integration with Microsoft Team Foundation Server

One of the topics that a lot of customers need to be really thinking about, and sometimes is not part of the initial project implementation, is Source Control, Version Control --- Control over the development of Dynamics AX objects and projects, the a Version Control System.

Microsoft has a great product, called 'Team Foundation Server'. Team Foundation Server, offers different levels depending on the need of the customer, and is not just a run of the mill VC solution.

If offers planning, control, documentation, BP, guidelines, branching, promotion options, and allows different role types to view a given project or set of projects in the manner best suited, and allowed for them.

With Dynamics AX 2009, you can actually take and make use of Team Founcation Server, with your instance to help gain control and governance over the development and lifecycle of your given Dynamics AX investment.

A very good white paper, that was release this past July, talks in details about this. That is the following white paper.:
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 White Paper: Using the Version Control Integration with Microsoft Team Foundation Server



The above image shows the Object Lifecycle when making use of TFS integration within Dynamics AX.

So this offers an amazing amount of power. The only draw back, for smaller shops, is the fact that each developer machine, must have their own AOS. So if you have 10 developers, then that's 10 AOS licenses, you will need.:

Developer Machines
Each developer machine should have:

• Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Developer installation (with AOS)


• Microsoft SQL Server (local or remote)


• Local repository folder


• Visual Studio Team Explorer (optional)

There are other options, but for a shop that wants to get the most out of their investment for Dynamics AX, even having an AOS per developer, does not cost that much in the scheme of things. When your talking about your enterprise business platform!

That's all for now, check back soon as more to come!




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Microsoft's next wave of releases

Alright, so in this post, I plan on touching on a few points. The plan is to take us through Microsoft's next wave of product releases, and how that will enable and touch Dynamics AX.

First let's start with the following post.:
Microsoft updates its enterprise ABC (Active Directory, BizTalk and Communications Server) roadmaps



So in the above post Mary Jo covers Microsoft's roadmap for ABC, or Active Directory, BizTalk and Communcations Server. Why is this important for Dynamics AX? These technologies will be the foundation for future enabling technologies that allow true Hyrbid Clouds, custom, third party, and Microsoft based to exists for Microsoft Dynamics AX Customers.

Now lets move forward a little.
Microsoft Dynamics AX statement of direction



Notice the vNext release, and road map for Dynamics AX includes heavy Functional growth and Software+Services.

This is the key. The next release, or wave of Microsoft products will enable more and more solutions to actually be true Hyrbid clouds. This means customers of AX now, and in the future will need this, request this, want to understand this... as part of their solution design.

The Cloud, something I have been talking about for years now, is here. The next wave is just the very first part of this. Microsoft Dynamics AX is the business platform, that the rest of the platform makes use of to offer a total, single, hyrbid platform for customers world wide.

For partners, check out the following PartnerSource resource.:
Microsoft Dynamics & the Wave ”14” Launch – Helping our Customers Become Dynamic Businesses

"
The “Dynamic Business” is Microsoft’s vision of companies who are able to continuously evolve and transform themselves to face changes and challenges in their business environment. Some of these challenges will be economic, others may be organizational, or require changes to the ways companies operate, or interact within a wider value chain. Such challenges will require companies to use software to optimize their people, their processes, and their ecosystem.



Microsoft Dynamics’® goal is to help our customers become dynamic businesses through empowering their people to be more productive, simplifying their business processes so they can be more agile, and through enabling seamless connections with their ecosystem. Achieving this goal requires more than just a Dynamics business application - it also requires a business productivity infrastructure that works hand-in-hand with the business application, and provides many of the capabilities on which the business application relies."

And...
"The latest version of Microsoft’s business productivity infrastructure - and the two key components of the Wave “14” Launch - are Microsoft Office® 2010 and SharePoint® Server 2010. Both are currently in public beta, and are planned for release in the first half of 2010, at which time all Microsoft Dynamics® ERP and Microsoft Dynamics® CRM products will be certified to run on them."

So everything, more than ever, is has a tie into the Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP offering. And Microsoft Dynamics AX, can more than ever, make use of the rest of the Microsoft platform. From the Desktop to the Cloud. Threee screen and a cloud!

For customers, this means more flexibility, more options, and a more Dynamic business for sure.

For Partners, we must learn, know and be experts in understanding what is best for a given customers needs. That other options exists, other than on-premise software.

Finally, check out Microsoft's vision for Dynamics ERP and Software+Services.:
Software-plus-Services for Microsoft Dynamics ERP

"Microsoft Corp. announced a collection of online services that can be attached to its Microsoft Dynamics enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions, including a new Sites Service built on the Windows Azure platform, a new Commerce Service, and an expansion of its Payment Service.

In addition, the company revealed that its Microsoft Dynamics ERP hosting business has more than doubled in the past year, demonstrating strong uptake by partners to deliver Microsoft Dynamics ERP via on-demand and subscription-based hosting models as well as complementary services.

“Our customers increasingly appreciate the option of moving certain applications and services into the cloud while maintaining an on-premise option for their ERP solution,” said Crispin Read, general manager of Microsoft Dynamics ERP. “Providing this choice and flexibility is a competitive advantage for us and our partners around the world.”"

So, the cloud is merging with the Dynamics ERP. Dynamics AX, can take advantage now, of what the Microsoft Cloud Platform has to offer. And not just with the offerings from Microsoft itself. But offerings from third party vendors, and also custom services as well.

This has to be, in any stratgey, and planning for any customer that is using, or considering to use Microsoft, and Microsoft Dynamics AX.

If you have questions about Dynamics AX, Microsoft, and the Microsoft Cloud Platform, feel free to ask here by either emailing me or leaving a comment. Also check back soon, as I have more great post coming!




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Microsoft “Migrate From NetSuite” Reference Recruitment Contest

Well last week, I posted about PartnerCompete.com's coverage of NetSuite's CEO having some crazy claims.:
NetSuite CEO Zach Nelson crazy claims

And over the weekend, Microsoft released a new PartnerSource based contest.:
Microsoft “Migrate From NetSuite” Reference Recruitment Contest

PartnerSource is required to go to the above link. I just thought it was in good timing, that this was done. So make sure and submit those NetSuite conversion stories to Microsoft their AX partners! It's worth the effort in doing so!

Check back, as I have a lot of posting going on this week!




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NetSuite CEO Zach Nelson crazy claims

PartnerCompete, a member based site, focusing on driving Dynamics Partner Channel success, recently had a very interesting article they posted about on their site.

In this article, they quote Zach Nelson, CEO of struggling NetSuite to say that.:
All the VAR's in that (Microsoft) Channel will get off their Dynamics Drug, and one day all have to switch to SaaS based NetSuite.

He went on to say that The reason why, NetSuite is the only game in town.

My question, to Mr. Zach Nelson is, "Where the Heck have you been?"

As PartnerCompete points out, NetSuite's revenues are flatlining and the massive losses continue. On top of that, NetSuite is in a huge legal battle with it's "Three" time partner of the year, because of how NetSuite comes in at the 11th hour of a sale and takes the client on directly. Meaning that NetSuite partners compete directly with NetSuite!

To read the full own story, you must be a member of PartnerCompete, and the direct link can be found here.: PartnerCompete's Story about Crazy NetSuite CEO Claims.

Typically I usually don't post about this kind of thing, but I had too. This is either a very, very desperate move, by a failing software company, and it's CEO. Or the CEO is so far out of touch with reality and what is going on in the market place, that maybe he should not be CEO?

Either way, the writing is really on the wall, or in the customers that Dynamics line has, and its in the Microsoft platform, the Azure Cloud, the masses that are seeing Dynamics, Dynamics AX, CRM, XRM, etc. etc. that love the product(s). No other product can compare to Microsoft Dynamics AX. Look at all the AMR, Gartner, etc. reports. Microsoft Dynamics AX is the flagship ERP now, and of the future.

And as for SaaS, well SaaS is just a part of the bigger picture which is Software+Services. Three screens and a cloud my friend! And what platform is NetSuite?

So hats off to you Zach Nelson, for helping show how much NetSuite is either failing, or your lack of touch with Reality.

For real world, reality based information, about a product that can really help you, and will continue to grow, look to Microsoft Dynamics AX. And check back here, as I will continue to post!




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Compare Microsoft Dynamics AX to Oracle, Sage, and SAP

Thinking about switching to a new ERP? Wondering which one is the best? How about having the ability to compare Microsoft Dynamics to what Oracle, Sage and SAP has to offer?

Check out the following link, from Sunrise Technologies, Inc.: Would you like to see how Microsoft Dynamics compares to Oracle, Sage, and SAP? - Comparison tool provided by Microsoft


And then if you have direct questions, feel free to ask Sunrise, and the Sunrise Contact Page.: Contact Us!

Or drop me an email or comment through my blog here!







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Microsoft Payment Service and Discussion with Red Maple

On Monday, I posted about the new Microsoft Online Services for Dynamics ERP, and focusing on what that means a little for Dynamics AX.
DAX ROI and Azure Dynamics ERP Services

I dug deeper into this, because the defacto credit card processing for Dynamics AX, has been and still is Red Maple. (www.redmaple.com).



At many of my clients, Red Maple Credit Card Processing for Dynamics AX is in use. With the news of the new Payment Services for Microsoft Dynamics ERP, I started thinking how this could be used in Dynamics AX? What about Red Maple? Can it be used with Red Maple? Can Red Maple's deep functional offerings be used with the new Payment Services? Does this mean Red Maple will be competing with this service?

I contacted Red Maple, and their CTO Patrick Hodo gave me this reponse.:
"Red Maple does not really compete with the Payment Services for Microsoft Dynamics ERP. Basically, they are a “gateway” to payment processors, much like Cybersource or PayPal are gateways.

The only difference is that their service is a closed API, which means that we cannot integrate with them—as much as we would like to. We have asked for the API but they refuse to make it available. This would be very helpful for customers that decided to use the standard credit card processing in DAX 2009, but cannot perform credits and voids. We understand that their processor list is limited right now (basically they only work with TSYS and PayPal) but is expanding. I think the main issue is that most customers purchase DAX so that they can customize and enhance their business through the software. Currently, they cannot do that with Payment Services for Microsoft Dynamics ERP. It is up to customers to decide whether that is important enough to use or not use it."

And...
"Really, we are focused on the software aspect of credit cards, enhancing the delivered functionality. We don’t care about the “acquiring” aspect of the business (getting new merchants is a big money making venture). So our focus is on PCI compliance (which we are now certified for), business processes for eCommerce and the types of enhancements that most customers are accustomed to us delivering."

In response, I asked the following.:
So is it possible for a customer to still use Red Maple, and create a custom Gateway, that makes use of this service? Even though it's a closed API, since it's just a Gateway, you would think a customer could create a custom gateway from Red Maple to this service?

Patrick Replied with.:
"We have not received nor found any information on the API, so until new information is released we understand that it is a closed API. So if a customer decided to enhance the standard functionality, let’s say to add CVD information (which is the little code on the back of a Visa card), the customer would not be able to do so because they wouldn’t even know where the code goes in the submission to the service.

So if a user wanted to use Red Maple Credit Cards and then integrate with a custom gateway (perhaps FastCharge, for example) they could absolutely do so. If the user wanted to use our software to integrate to Microsoft Payment Services for Dynamics ERP, they are out of luck."

I myself searched and could not find anyone or anything yet that offered anything on having an Open API to this service. I do know this can be used now, the service that is. If you go to the following Fact Sheet for Dynamics AX on the service you will see it in use, with Screen shots.:
Microsoft Dynamics AX Payment Services Factsheet

For now it seems that you choose between either Red Maple, or this service for Dynamics AX. I would think, that this will change in the future, but this is very important to understand for when recommending which path to take.

It would then come down to need. Red Maple has a lot of deep functionality, and the service is exactly that.

This is very interesting, and look for me to talk on this more in the future. See you next time!




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