Back Again, and a new Executive Insight Post to cover

Well you may have noticed that I have not posted in a week. I actually got away from the computer and went to the Gulf. We typically go 4th of July week, however with all the horrible affects of the BP oil "bath" going on, and their inability to do anything about it, my family and I decided to support our Gulf area this past holiday weekend. Which, I must say the beaches are white sand, the water was clear, and the food was amazing!

With that, I totally stepped away, and got some nice R&R. Now I am back at it, and will be coming with full force!

To help kick off the return to blogging, I have a new Executive Insight post to cover, from the Microsoft Community site.:
Harness the Power of Services for the Dynamic Business

In this post, David Pennington, Director of Microsoft Dynamics Annuity Product Management, talks about what it really means to be a "Dynamic Business" and how Microsoft is enabling this.

From the post.:
"I appreciate the opportunity to reach out to all of you in the Microsoft Dynamics Community to expand on embracing the concept and vision of the “Dynamic Business”... ...Although, maintenance programs aren’t always viewed as the most glamorous topic, the Business Ready Enhancement Plan is a customer’s direct connection to Microsoft and the centerpiece of the pillars Kirill and Mike Ehrenberg alluded to when speaking of the “Dynamic Business”."

And...
"Behind the great products and innovation, there are people who drive the results. At Microsoft, we believe that people, when properly equipped with the right tools, can surmount even the most complex business challenge. This is why we’ve created over 1250 interactive training courses known as eLearning; making it a valuable way for users to continue ongoing education, increasing their capabilities, knowledge and productivity. The Enhancement plan gives customers access to these courses, 24x7, with unlimited coursework, helping them stay ahead of the learning curve. In addition, customers have visibility to the tens of thousands of technical articles written by Microsoft Dynamics Support Engineers, helping them easily answer questions on their own. These types of activities help customers ramp up quicker, allowing them to have an immediate impact on their business."

You can see how these Executive Insight post build upon each other, and how the further we proceed in time, each post helps bring into perspective the vision Microsoft has, and the actual meaning behind the tag lines, like "Dynamic Business".

I hope each and everyone of you are doing well. Look here for more post to come!

"Visit the Dynamics AX Community Page today!"

Interview with Microsoft Executive: Allison L. Watson, Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Partner Group

Recently I took the time to email Allison Watson, Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Patner Group for Microsoft.

The focus of these questions, was to pick the brain of the Microsoft executive, to a certain degree, relating to Dynamics ERP, Dynamics AX and the current worldwide recession we are in.

The following are the questions and answers:

1.) Currently the U.S., and most of the world is in a Recession. Why would customers what to choose Dynamics ERP, specifically Dynamics AX, during this down turn?

"Right now can be one of the best times for a company to invest in its infrastructure because they have the time and resources to commit to the implementation, and once the economy picks back up they will be ready to hit the ground running.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 offers customers strong total cost of ownership by applying Microsoft application platform technology, delivering improved user productivity through RoleTailored design and a familiar user interface, self-service business intelligence and reporting tools, and manages the complexities of a global organization by consolidating and standardizing processes and providing visibility across the organization.

Additionally, Microsoft Dynamics is currently offering 0 percent financing for 36 months for new, qualifying customers of Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM solutions. The limited time offer is available to Microsoft Dynamics customers who receive Microsoft Financing credit approval on all purchases of $20,000 (U.S.) up to $1 million (U.S.)."

2.) Since we are in a downturn, budgets are cutting back in order to save on cost. What new technologies released this year, can actually help customers cut cost, even though it would mean deploying a new system or upgrading?

"At Microsoft, we have several options to help customers use the power of technology in their cost-cutting efforts to reduce travel and communications costs, leverage virtualization to optimize their infrastructure, and reduce PC energy consumption.

Reduce travel and communications costs
Cutting back on plane trips and hotel stays is one of the most obvious ways to save money, but that must be balanced against the value of person-to-person interaction. Today, video conferencing and new collaboration tools are making virtual meetings much more like face-to-face interaction and companies are finding that in many cases, information sharing and collaboration can be accomplished more efficiently and for much less cost when done virtually.

Microsoft provides a suite of Unified Communications technology that uses software to bring voice, e-mail, instant messaging, and video conferencing together is enabling companies to replace traditional phone and voice mail systems with solutions that integrate telephony with corporate messaging, calendaring, and directories. At Microsoft, for example, unified messaging is enabling us to save $5 million each year through reduced hardware and maintenance costs. Equally important, combining phone and e-mail communications into a single solution is increasing employee productivity and decreasing the administrative workload for IT professionals.

Microsoft also provides a Deskless Workers Suite. We estimate that approximately half of employees worldwide are deskless workers. To that end, Microsoft is rolling out solutions designed to meet the needs of deskless workers, those people who typically spend a small portion of their workday using a computer but still need to communicate and collaborate with colleagues and partners.

Virtualization
Virtualization is another incredible opportunity to cut cost and optimize your infrastructure. Windows Server Hyper-V makes it possible to run more than one operating system on a single machine, which can help companies reduce costs by enabling them to use more of the computing power that they already own. Virtualization also presents opportunities to consolidate the number of server companies own and use. But saving money is just the beginning of the value that this important technology offers. In a virtualized IT environment, new resources can be deployed more quickly and processes are easier to automate. The result is tremendous flexibility for employees and greater efficiency and agility for IT departments.

Reduce energy costs
There are incredible power management tools in software today that help companies more effectively manage energy consumption. Companies should make sure they are taking advantage of all power management tools in today’s software. Also use central IT administrator features for controlling all your desktops. Like so many companies across the globe, Microsoft strives to save our customers money while reducing carbon emissions. By upgrading to Windows Vista operating system, our customers with 1,000 PCs or more can save more than $70,000 a year and reduce carbon emission by more than 1 million pounds."

3.) Can you explain how Microsoft Partners could better align themselves with Microsoft’s discounts during this downturn, in order to help reach a bigger customer base and truly offer the customer value while still saving on cost at the same time?

"We announced a 0% Financing offer for Microsoft Dynamics recently, which has been very important to partners. But there are several other incentives here in the U.S. specifically to help partners save customers money. For example, the popular Big Easy 2.0 promotion is available, and it lets customers use their cost savings on Microsoft products for services and support from a Microsoft partner. MicrosoftIncentives.com is a great place for partners to stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest incentives.

Partners should also leverage Microsoft Financing as a strategic way to make IT purchases affordable. Microsoft Financing enables partners to offer their customers quick, easy and affordable financing as an integrated offering with their IT solution, helping customers of all sizes to purchase Microsoft products and services, such as partner implementation and training. This allows customers to purchase the complete, best-fit solution up front, have it professionally deployed, and manage all of their IT as one investment that they pay for over an extended term.

To help partners effectively integrate financing into their regular business practices, we’re offering a Partner Training Roadmap, which is a mixture of on-demand training, from brief podcasts to full-length training courses. Subjects covered include an introduction to financing, how to use financing tools, how financing can help partners enable sales and how to manage and optimize the financial footprint of customers. Microsoft also offers partners sales and marketing tools to help them easily incorporate Microsoft Financing in their next proposal."

4.) And to make this more personal, what’s your favorite food?

"That’s easy -- Jamoca Almond Fudge ice cream."

I want to thank Allison for working with me on getting this interview in place, and ready for posting here. I think is some good information for all of us, Customer, Possible customers and Partners alike. To find out more about Allison, please go to the following link for her online public bio: Allison L. Watson, Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Partner Group - Public Bio Link

I also want to thank Anige and Katie from Waggener Edstrom Worldwide. Without them none of this would have been possible!

Well that's it's for now, check back soon, and Allison I hope santa brings you lots and lots of 'Jamoca Almond Fudge Ice Cream'!




"Visit the Dynamics AX Community Page today!"

Interview with Microsoft Dynamics Executives

Recently I sat down and had a phone interview with both Klaus Andersen, CVP for Dynamics Sales & Operations and Doug Kennedy, VP of Dynamics Partners Organization. Let me start off, by saying thanks to both Klaus and Doug for taking the time out of their busy schedules to field questions from a Humble Technical Architect.

Below are the questions, and answers from the session:

[Key: KA = Klaus Andersen, DK = Doug Kennedy, Brandon = Me!]

i. Over the next 12-18 months, what are some big goals both of you want to accomplish within the Microsoft Dynamics partner space, and how do you plan to achieve those goals?

DK: We want to expand some of the work that was already started, aligning around verticals by countries and regions for both the ISV and VAR partners. The goals are to align the solutions and services with customer needs for focused verticals and make sure that ISVs and VARs are making it to market with a Certified for Microsoft Dynamics solution. Meaning the vertical solutions have been tested and are clearly ready to address the specific vertical needs of the customer. Microsoft is trying to sit in the customer’s seat, to better understand what, how and why they purchase and then align ISVs and VARs with solutions that that complement the Microsoft Dynamics applications to meet those needs.

KA: The vertical piece is very important. Customers want to feel confident that ISVs and VARs know and understand their business and that they really know how to operate effectively in the customers’ space. So our goal is making sure that the partners know their verticals, and have a clear implementation process that is predictable and repeatable, such as our SureStep methodology.

Brandon: Great points guys! At Sunrise we call what Klaus just mentioned the 'Execution Layer' that is a very important aspect for happy customers. Making sure we can deliver and have a successful go live.

DK: Every customer wants to get to production ASAP. What’s also key beyond the “go live” is making sure that robust and complex implementations are easy to maintain. This is also a focus of the Certified for Microsoft Dynamics program - making sure that offerings from the vertical ISVs complement the ERP offerings and that the integration is tested. (Certified For Microsoft Dynamics is the certification process for ISV solutions that sits on top of the Microsoft Dynamics ERP software.)

ii. What impact do you think these goals will have on the diverse partner space that exists in the Dynamics Community? Will there be a different impact based on the size of the partner?

DK: If you look at the partners today, they come in all sizes. By promoting their unique vertical expertise, the partners can work well together to meet the needs of customers in their vertical in their given region. With the focus on vertical expertise, partners of all sizes have plenty of opportunities because the customer is looking exactly for that specific vertical expertise.

Brandon: Doug, you said a key word there, 'Region'. By 'Region' what do you mean?

DK: A region could be a smaller, focused area of a country, or some other geographical area, but this is more the specific space in which the given VAR operates. What you typically find is vertical expertise and knowledge and localization going hand-in-hand. So for partners, when talking in terms of pivoting around a given vertical, it's more about the depth of the vertical knowledge than it is the size of the partner. You don't have to be the biggest to compete, but having the deepest vertical knowledge for your region is critical.

KA: The vertical guy who understands some form of manufacturing in Ohio is different than the one who understands it on a national level, and even from the one that understands it on the global level. The customer usually dictates what type of partner relationship they want, be that local, national or global level.


iii. Speaking in terms of partners, across all the Microsoft Dynamics brands, what is the most common threaded problem that you see partners facing today? Do you think there is anything Microsoft can / could / should do to help address that said issue?

KA: About a year ago, Microsoft commissioned a study of more than 200 partners to understand what makes a partner more profitable than another partner. What we have seen is that with the Microsoft Dynamics channel, which in itself is very profitable, the more profitable partners focus on their existing customers, making sure they get upgrades, new modules, etc. while still also making new sales. The partners who allowed existing customers to fall off the radar, ended up being not as profitable. So a partner that is balanced on both new and current customers ended up doing the best in terms of being profitable. Another interesting bit, that the survey revealed, was that partners who invested more heavily in marketing versus good sales did worse. Heavy marketing would be spending 10%+ of a given partners’ revenue. The study also revealed that partners who specialize are more profitable that those who do not specialize. Finally we saw that the smaller partners - between 30-40 employees - are more profitable than those that go into 40-100 employees, because of the growth pains associated with getting into bigger and more complex deals, larger projects, etc.

Brandon: So then would you say that the biggest single threaded problem for partners is the lack of focus on existing customers?

KA: There isn’t one specific thing that is a common problem for all partners. The biggest challenge is finding enough trained and certified resources. Microsoft will be churning out another 6,000 to 7,000 certified professionals this year, but even that is not enough.

Brandon: Interesting point, as training focus was lacking, going back 3 years or so, and you can see it picking up. What is Microsoft doing then in terms of working with Colleges and Universities to get them on board for the Microsoft Dynamics products as they are for products like Visual Studio?

DK: We just reviewed our budget for the coming year. As part of our investments, Microsoft will make sure there is appropriate funding for and focus on getting the Microsoft Dynamics products included in what universities and colleges can offer.

KA: Actually three years ago, we [Microsoft] started to focus on this fact and have been working with the Microsoft Dynamics Academic Alliance of more than 1,000 universities worldwide that will be integrating Microsoft Dynamics products into their curriculums or academic research. Ultimately, this helps produce more resources for the Microsoft Dynamics partner space. This team is now under Doug's organization, as a part of our commitment to enabling partners .

iv. What are both of you most excited about for partners and the Dynamics community in general for the next set of Microsoft product releases?

KA: Clearly integration with the stack is very important. I have traveled through the US and European markets meeting with customers, and it's been interesting to hear about customers wanting to follow the stack from the OS all the way to our ERP products. For mid market it's all about the stack, and because of what Microsoft has been doing, partners now have a bigger opportunity with a broader message.

DK: The stack ties back to paying attention to customers; partners need to do that in order to continue being profitable.

KA: What’s interesting is if you go back 3-4 years, all ERP decisions were driven by the CFO or the manufacturing organization of a company. But now the CIO or the IT manager is having a much bigger say in the ERP selection, because they are the ones managing the resources that support the IT infrastructure, which can be complex and often look like “spaghetti”. Because Microsoft offers a full scope of IT solutions, we see IT managers going to the CFOs, etc. and saying ‘take a look at the Microsoft ERP platform, based on the stack integration and because they have the right resources to make it work.’

DK: Basically we stopped turning our customers into systems integrators. Before, the poor customer ended up being the integrator, trying to integrate and connect the “spaghetti” (applications and products from a variety of vendors using a variety of technologies), and that is not the business they are in. By adopting more of the Microsoft stack, the customer is less likely to take on a systems integrator role.

Brandon: So lower TCO / overall stack integration is something to be excited about for the next product releases for both customers and partners. Very good.

v. What are your favorite sports?

KA: I would love to say my favorite sports are team based, but mine are more individual sports like: long distance running, golf and Alpine skiing.

DK: Typically, I am a team sport guy. I like baseball, soccer, hockey, really anything that is team sports. That also reflects that way I like to manage my business organization, as a team.

Closing Comments:

DK: I would just like to say that I am really excited about being here at Microsoft. I had been at Oracle for more than 17 years, and I can say that Microsoft Dynamics is really about to explode... there is enormous market potential for our partners and Microsoft and we are really optimizing on that.


I would like to thank both Klaus and Doug again for taking the time to sit down and have this phone interview. Keep and eye on this blog and my column at MSDynamicsWorld.com for more exciting Dyanmics AX news and information.

Check back soon!



"Visit the Dynamics AX Community Page today!"