MSDW: Getting Ready for Development with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 - Part Three: Approach

With the release of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, a lot of focus in around the new ways things can be achieved. Specifically around development. A lot of great technologies, and new ways to achieve solutions to business issues do exists.

Because of this, I started on MSDynamicsWorld.com, a series of articles called: Getting Ready for Development with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.

In this series, I started with the Vision, and from there went into the Training, and now I have the latest entry in this series over at MSDW: Getting Ready for Development with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 - Part Three: Approach

In this latest article, I try to make a very clear point: Use Common sense, and let business requirements, along with best value, drive design and development task.

As I point out in the article, there is no way in a single post, or series even, that I could cover the different aspects and points of approach for Development in AX 2012. This deserves an entire book, or multiple books.

I hope you agree with my statements, and think about the business value for the technical task that are being suggested, and the approach / path that is desired.

That's all for now, till next time!



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Dynamics Community Article - Just Because you can, doesn't mean you should

Well I finally got back to my monthly article on the official Microsoft Dynamics Community site. I've wanted to before now, but have had real trouble working it back in.

I should be able, though, to continue back on a monthly basis of writing for this column, which is more high level typically than how deep I go in some of my post here. To kick this back off, here is the link to my latest column entry: Just because you can, doesn't mean you should

I hope the point is well made, and that it clear, business value, should drive what scope exists around an AX 2012 project.

That's all for now, but check back soon as more to come! Till next time!



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New Community Article: To Upgrade or Not To Upgrade. Is that the Question?

Well as promised, I have my new community article up, for the Official Microsoft Dynamics Community Site.

A direct link to the article can be found here.: To Upgrade or Not To Upgrade. Is that the Question?

From a higher level, most all technical aspect aside, in this article I try to lay the ground work in which companies can use, to ask themselves what is the right choice? Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 or Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.

From this article, I will link back to, and build more details on my blog here. Some technical, and some not.

The end result, is meant to try and drive the right decision for you and your company!

Enjoy, and see you next time!

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MSDW: Getting Ready for Development with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 – Part One: The Vision

Well as I promised last week, my next focus for coverage of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 would be around Development.

When I started to sit down and write about this, I realized very quickly this would be best served as a four part series. I also am using MSDynamicsWorld.com to write this series of articles on.

So the first in the series in on Vision, and a direct link to that first series in the article set can be found here.: MSDW: Getting Ready for Development with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 – Part One: The Vision

This is not meant to be a total encompassing technical coverage of development within AX 2012, but rather to help set the stage for the Vision for Developemnt with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.

From here I will continue the series with: Training, Approach, & Execution.

When the series is complete, I hope that a better understanding will exists from a higher level, that will help us all be ready to take advantage, and continue to extend our ROI for what we are already doing with AX.

Enjoy and till next time!

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MSDW: Article on Self Service BI and Dynamics

Well as promised, I have a new article I wrote for MSDynamicsWorld.com, which can be found here.: Self Service BI - Where the Rubber Met the Road in 2010 for Microsoft Dynamics

In this article, I try to cover how we have arrived at where we are today, why it's important, a high level of technology involved, and a real aassement and hopefully push for the concept of self service BI.

I try to capture the Vision Microsoft has with self service BI, that goes beyond Dynamics itself. And the fact that Microsoft Dynamics AX, and those companies that invest in it, can make use of this vision.

I hope you enjoy it, and many thanks to Jason and the MSDynamicsWorld.com team for allowing me to write for them.

Check back soon as more to come!

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Tech execs betting on enterprise mobility

Today ZDNet is reporting in a new article that more and more Tech Executives are betting on enterprise mobility for the upcoming year. The full article can be read here.: Tech execs betting on enterprise mobility; Apple's iOS, Android ride along

Looking at this article we see the following two graphs, with the first being (currently) supported mobile devices.:


And application planned adoption.:


What very intersting in this is what we see for offical support, based on the respondants to ZDnet. We still see Blackberry and Windows Mobile being the top two for Enterprise Apps, while Apple's iOS is listed third.

Moving foward looking at the applications that will be adopted, and based on the ZDNet article, we see that mobile LOB (Line Of Business) apps are targeted as the next big opportunity for the mobile enterprise.

Recently, I have posted about how a cusotmer can extend their Dynamics AX investment to the Apple iOS platform with the iPhone and iPad. This is still true, and also true for the Blackberry and Windows Mobile platforms as well.

Dynamics ax on the iPad and iphone
More on Dynamics AX and the iPad

What I am seeing however, with more and more push of the Apple iOS platform into the enterprise is that Apple's iOS platform will become more and more offically supported by enterprise Technology Depts.

The article does not show what depts plan to offically support, but I would be willing to bet that the Apple iOS would be one of the top platforms, if that was one of the metrics of this report.

I agree with ZDnet in their article, that mobile LOB applications are the next thing for enterprise, and this goes well beyond email and contacts, as pointed out in the article itself.

Your talking more and more productive applications, that do more than offer consumption. That actually extend a customers enterprise investments, beyond their walls, into the cloud, and on into the mobile land scape.

With the Windows Mobile, Blackberry, Apple iOS and Andriod OS as choices, along with numerous ways to cloud enable or on-presise host integrations to mobile LOB applications to a customers backend investments, how does a company make the right choice for moving forward with this? For moving forward with mobile LOB application planning, development, build vs. buy vs. customize?

I think that with the cloud, and integration options, along with the four mentioned mobile / device platforms, it's easy to see that could be a mixed bag actually. And why not right? No need for a device vendor lock in.

If you take Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP platform, in how flexible and open it is. Then mix in Windows Azure, Google's AppEngine, or even on-premise services, then the device becomes a light or mid sized client, depending on the need of the LOB application.

A mid-sized companies, with today's options, does not have to have an IT staff that knows everything about all platforms. They also don't have to have a vendor lock in either.

Being flexible, and with a little research, IT depts' can remain open minded to the LOB application needs of their companies, and use that to drive the choice. So if you have a Dynamics AX ERP investment, and in turn have a hyrbid mix of services in the cloud and on-premise, Windows Mobile could be your phone and the Apple iPad could be the tablet / slate device. And both can work with these services that help create mobile LOB applications that extend your enterprises reach.

I hope this continues to help drive thought around not being locked in, but looking at the needs of the business, and the needs of the LOB apps, to drive how this will get done for your company. From there is could also be a mixed bag of inhouse development, VAR based development, and purchased third party mobile Apps that complete a total mobile LOB solution for a companies needs.

That's all for now on the topic, however check back soon as this will continue to be a hot topic for the remainder of the year and well into next year. I have some interesting things coming out soon actually just on the mobile enterprise LOB topic, including extending Dynamics AX!

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