AX 2012 - Going Mobile!

Everyone is talking mobile these days. It's not new really, but if you think about the amount of devices that someone interacts with on a daily basis, it's easy to understand why mobile has such a huge focus. This includes having mobile ERP & BI needs for companies of all sizes. With this topic in mind, fellow blogger & peer Dilip wrote about the release of a new white paper.: Configure Dynamics AX 2012 Mobile Connector - Dilip's Blog.

Now, I do believe that Dilip will give us some great insight as he is able to play with what the new white paper talks about. You can download the white paper, from the following location.: Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 White Paper: Configure Microsoft Dynamics AX Connector for Mobile Applications. I would like to highlight this a bit more myself, and so this is the point and goal of my post today. First lets look at the summary of this white paper.:

"This paper describes how to configure an environment that is running Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, so that users can connect the Microsoft Dynamics AX mobile phone application. The initial version of the Microsoft Dynamics AX mobile phone application enables mobile expense capture."

Now we can see that initial scope is to enable the mobile expense capture for travel & expense focused needs. It's clear that this is a framework and that Microsoft will continue to invest into this framework for enabling more mobility through this approach. That stated, there is a good bit that needs to be configured, and technical assets managed.



The above is a diagram that shows the specific elements involved in this framework. Further it shows the flows of message and authentication. This represents: Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS), Mobile phone application, Microsoft Windows Azure Service Bus and Access Control Service (ACS), Microsoft Dynamics AX Connector for Mobile Applications & Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.

It's also important to understand the functional scope that is needed to be configured within Dynamics AX 2012 for this to be properly enabled and add value. It's listed out as.: Users, Expense Management and finally Human Resources. Now that is a possibly a wide & deep functional foot print, specifically when you mention the term human resources. This I believe is the most important part really to understand and what needs coverage. This is actually missing from the white paper. What specific configuration and modeling is completed within expense management & human resources to truly enable this. Further, I can image that workflow and other types of focus are needed as well.



Beyond this, the white paper has very detailed specifics on how to configure the needed technical aspects for enabling this expense capture mobile application. It is a great example of a hybrid cloud scenario that makes use of phone device end points, cloud assets and on-prim instance of Dynamics AX 2012. This is a great step in the right direction for seeing true value for such hybrid cloud scenario's with AX 2012 today, however there is plenty more to do in order to drive real value from such scenario's.

I would like to see the functional depth, the minimal functional depth, that is really required to achieve this setup. Having that paired with this very technical document, would help give and understanding to the functional & technical footprint needed, in order for a company to weight the true cost for the value this can bring.

That's all for this post, check back soon as we continue our Dynamics Journey including Convergence 2013 starting this coming Sunday! Till Next Time!
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Dynamics AX, Windows Server AppFabric and Private Clouds

Convergence 2010 covered a lot of topics, from the functional to the technical, and spanning all Dynamics ERP brands.

One of the hot topics that was talked about was Cloud Computing. I talked about this year, early on being the year, and later the decade of the Cloud. (2010, Year of the Cloud.)

Since that post, I have had varing topics and post covered about cloud computing with Microsoft, and most of these talks have been around the public cloud services, with Windows Azure, SQL Azure and the like.



While at Convergence, I talked with current customers, and others about what the cloud means. There was some great examples, already, about how the Cloud services are set to enable and achieve what people can't in their own data centers.

Still when talking to customers, they are still trying to see what does the cloud solve for me? Also what does it do for my Dynamics AX investment? How do I get there?

These again, are all focused on the cloud computing power delivered by Windows Azure. This post however, I want to spend a little time talking about private clouds, that are hosted internally within a company.

This brings us to Microsoft's focus on empowering this, because the bottomline Hybrid clouds will be the norm for a along time. And for a while, that means that private clouds, and internal, on-premise software and applications will still remain the major focus for companies for sometime.

In an interview with Mike Ehrenberg from Microsoft, who I also interview here.: Interview with Microsoft Distinguished Engineer - Mike Ehrenberg, was done by MSDynamicsWorld.com, 'In the Dynamics Future: Microsoft’s Mike Ehrenberg Discusses Progress on Master Data Management, Workflow, Upgrade Quality'

The interview done by MSDynamicsWorld talks about aspects I have covered, and been covering, with MDM, Upgrades, etc. But what I want you to focus on is the section about workflows, and WCF services, with the Windows Server AppFabric.

From the interview.:
"Workflow Foundation has always needed a home - a SharePoint server or IIS for example, that could run the application. AppFabric is "the evolution of an app server", in Ehrenberg's words, allowing the workflow processes to be offloaded to on-premise servers or to the cloud where AppFabric is integrated into the Windows Azure platform.

"It's a scale-out environment...more of a scale and performance story," Ehrenberg explained."



So Windows Server AppFabric is the application server that will host WF and WCF Services.

Why is this important for us to understand with Dynamics AX? With the concept of Private clouds?

The reason this is important is for Dynamics AX 6 and beyond. Windows Server AppFabric is currently in Beta2 refresh release, and is schedule to be RTM this summer.

Dynamics AX has AIF Services, and workflow ability, and even more in Dynamics AX 6. Just reference back to my recent post.: Dynamics AX 6, DotNet 4 and the WF Designer

Right now, in Dynamics AX 2009, .Net 3.5 is used. With this, when you create Services to consume within AX, or if you publish services from AX AIF as WCF end points for other LOB to consume, that is hosted in IIS.

This also means, a lot of config file editing, custom reporting on errors possibly, needs for states of workflow services, etc. it's all a real manual process.

However with AppFabric, all of that changes. With the introduction of AppFabric, we will start to see the ability to use PowerShell Commandlets (Cmdlets) to automate some of this manaual task. We will also be able to have insight into the services that are running, have much better control over WF Services states, be able to quickly move, start, stop and disable services, deal with version issues, etc. etc.

So instead of just having our AIF published services on some IIS box, or our custom WCF / WF Services that we developed and consume within AX just sitting on some IIS box, having to go through the different manual processing of deploying, moving, config files, etc. we will get a more automated ability, deeper insight, and faster develop and deploy cycles than can currently exists with .Net 3.5.

Now what does this mean for private clouds? Lets go back to Mike E's statement.:
"[AppFabric will allow] the workflow processes to be offloaded to on-premise servers or to the cloud where AppFabric is integrated into the Windows Azure platform."

Right now, Microsoft is still putting together all the different aspects of what a private cloud will exists and look like, but at the heart of enabling this will be Windows Server AppFabric.



So Windows Server AppFabric will also be at the heart of having the ability to offload services, depending on need, and through PowerShell (Very powerful stuff here!) and AppFrabic, offload and push services to the cloud, and back down to on-premise.

Giving us the true ability to have hyrbid clouds, and also private clouds. AppFabric will be the enabling peice that will allow true private clouds to start existing, where compsite applications can be created, monitored, provisioned, versioned, all of these things that we face today, and handle will manual moves, config files, manual processes, in a more controlled, faster, better, cheaper fashion.

So with Dynamics AX, AppFabric becomes and important peice for hosting AIF Services in the future, and also for consuming services that live in the AppFabric Server, which is part of IIS and enabling WPAS (Windows Process Activation Service). WPAS enables TCP, MSMQ, and other forms of service activation and messages to be enabled.

So private clouds with Dynamics AX being a part of that cloud offering for enterprises to create composite applications that span not just Dynamics AX, but also any of their other LOB applications. And with this private cloud approach, and abilities offered with AppFabric, .Net 4.0, and more private and hyrbid clouds will become easier and easier to create, form, monitor, publish, deploy, and beyond!

So can you see why AppFabric is important to understand? What it will enable? How it will help? Why it's important to a company invested or investing in Dynamics AX?

That's all for now, but I have a whole lot of topics to cover. I will leave you with the following MSDN resources, that will help you dive into Windows Server AppFabric, and also Windows Azure AppFabric. There is to much to cover in one post, just about AppFabric. Expect more post on this topic in the future!

MSDN: Windows Server AppFabric
MSDN: Microsoft Windows Azure platform AppFabric

See you next time!

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The Executive Blog: Putting the Dynamic in Microsoft Dynamics

Kirill Tatarinov, one of the top Microsoft Executives for the Dynamics Line of Business at Microsoft, posted a very nice article on The Executive Blog, at Microsoft.



The full link to that post can be found here.: Microsoft's The Executive Blog: Putting the Dynamic in Microsoft Dynamics

From the post.:
"It’s no secret that business applications are an integral part of running an organization and, when used to their full potential, can enable us to exist in this desirable Dynamic state – a state where we can achieve breakthrough success."

And...
"I want to take a moment to briefly describe the three pillars of the Dynamic Business:

1. People – the lifeblood of an organization. People will always be at the heart of everything that we do, it is through their individual unique qualities and strengths that success emerges. Whether it’s the back office order processor, the field service agent, the factory shop floor worker, or even the CEO, hidden pockets of productivity can be unlocked via intuitive and familiar designs that provide a great user experience through the business solution.

2. Process – the backbone of business. Every unit of execution in a business can be distilled into some kind of process. It could be an order approval, an expense report submission, a workflow, the fact of the matter is that process is everywhere! When it comes down to it, getting process right is a tough thing to do. It’s a complex world that we live in and as businesses grow and change, things like agility and flexibility are highly important. Processes need to be structured enough to enforce efficiency, while at the same time flexible enough to provide adaptability. Again – effective usage of a business solution can truly enable the kind of agility that today’s businesses require.

3. Ecosystem – in today’s world we simply cannot exist on islands. With the advent of the cloud especially, it’s increasingly becoming, to use a common phrase, a “small world”! We are all connected to each other, whether it’s suppliers, distributors, vendors, manufacturers, partners, customers or anything in between, today’s business environment is one that that is highly interdependent. Those connections are vital – and they require us to break free of an isolated inward focus and become “business extroverts”, seeking ways to improve these dependencies and relationships. It’s about recognizing the connections that exist in the ecosystems that surround us and using technology to strengthen and maximize the value that those connections provide us. A modern business solution taking full advantage of the three Cs of Cloud, Collaboration techniques and Communities can help business reach the fourth C of ultimate Connectivity."

Now this is a very good post by Kirill, getting everyone ready for this new year ahead of us. What I wanted to point out, is on the mention of ecosystem.

He talks about we can not be on isolated islands anymore. And the fact that there are the three C's or Cloud, Collaboration techniques and Communities.

This is for sure a focus for Microsoft, and as I point out in my last post, What can the Cloud offer you in 2010?, 2010 is for sure the year of the cloud. We have been prepping for years for the cloud, and I have been writing about it since 2007. Now the cloud is here, with real possibilities, and solutions ready for use with Dynamics AX.

I agree with Kirill, in that we have to be 'business extroverts', and can no longer live in isolated pockets of technology.

So there is a lot coming out this year, and a lot to focus on. I think this year is going to be one of the best years for Dynamics AX, and the Microsoft Business Platform.

That's all for now, but check back soon as I have more post coming, including another book review as well that should be out at the end of this month. See you next time!




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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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DAX ROI and Azure Dynamics ERP Services

Well as I posted first thing this morning, getting back into the swing of things. In doing so, I have a double post here to get the week off right.

As the title says, the first part of this post is about Dynamics AX ROI, or Return On Investment.

This is why companies implement Dynamics AX over SAP, Oracle, Epicor, etc. It's because of the ROI, and benefits that come from being a part of the Microsoft platform and software stacks.

I saw on twitter a post to a link, to Nucleus Research's post ROI study. Click here for that direct link.

This study covers the spectrum of Microsoft Dynamics Line, and of course that includes Microsoft Dynamics AX. The direct link to the specific Microsoft Dynamics AX published paper can be found here.: The Real ROI of Microsoft Dynamics AX.

In this paper, I found some very interesting information, and specifically out of the customers that agreed to participate, 75% of them have already seen great ROI, while the others are on their way to doing so shortly.

Also from that paper.:
"Companies looking to
maximize returns from Microsoft Dynamics AX and other ERP deployments today should:

• Get IT and business together to define needs and requirements up front and get user buy-in.

• Evaluate products both on real functional requirements and ROI– and build milestones for both into your deployment plans.

• Keep customization limited to ensure you’ll be able to upgrade and adapt in the future without significant rework."

The above is the conluding points of advice. The paper is well worth the read, and just another independant source talking about what make Microsoft Dynamics AX so great.

Now for the second point of this post, Azure Dynamics ERP Services. We have been talking about the cloud on this blog for over two years, knowing that it was coming. PDC just took place and one of the things learned there was a new set of Dynamics ERP Services that will live in the Azure Cloud Platform. Making use, no doubt, of the AppFabric so that is truly lives in the Cloud and not on a hosting VM image, that lives in the cloud.

These cloud services can be found at the following direct link.: Online services for Microsoft Dynamics ERP

The two main services are.:

- Payment Services for Microsoft Dynamics ERP
Now you can have a total retail solution. By combining Microsoft Dynamics ERP software with Payment Services for Microsoft Dynamics ERP you can accept credit and debit transactions as you ring up sales right in your ERP software. No credit card terminal needed. With Microsoft Dynamics ERP, you can accept credit card payments in real-time. Payment Services is fully compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) to ensure the security of your credit transactions.

- Connect for Microsoft Dynamics ERP
Connect for Microsoft Dynamics ERP helps you access the resources you need to maximize the effectiveness of your Microsoft Dynamics solution, and increase profitability. With Connect, your employees can access community-driven knowledge, best practices, training, and updates tailored to their specific role directly from their Microsoft Dynamics ERP application.

Both of these are wonderful moves in the right direction. And I know a lot of our retail clients, and possible clients are looking for that PCI DSS compliance. So this is great to see.

Over at MSDynamicsWorld.com, a great article about this actually has been posted by Linda Rosencrance. Microsoft Calls On Azure for New Dynamics ERP Services

From the article.:
"Microsoft said it can best serve its customers by offering a flexible deployment model so they can implement their ERP systems in the environments that are best for them. Microsoft said currently over 150 partners worldwide offer customers this hybrid option.

The online services that can be attached to its Microsoft Dynamics ERP platform including a new Azure-based service called Sites, new Commerce Services, and an expansion of its Payment Service, according to the company."

And...
"The significance of this announcement is about Microsoft Dynamics taking another step into the world of cloud computing, and being one of the early vendors to talk about a hybrid environment of on-premise and cloud and how those scenarios might work and providing the technical support to allow them to work," said Jim Shepherd, an analyst with Boston-based AMR Research Inc. "And there hasn't been a real connection yet between Azure as a public cloud service from Microsoft and the Dynamics product line. So this is the first time we're really seeing the Dynamics business leverage the Azure offering."

There we have it, the first real production level offering of the Azure Cloud Platform with a Hybrid on-premise+cloud approach. This will be the norm for businesses with the cloud, and this is only the very tip of the iceberg.

Well that's all for now, check back later!




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More Focus on the Cloud

Alright,

So a topic that I have not talked about in a few months is really about to come into focus. Specifically in 2010. What I am talking about is Cloud Computing, and focused on the Cloud Platforms.

That's right I used the plural, because there are many now to choose from. However, the two that I will focus on for my postings are Windows Azure Cloud Platform, and then Google's AppEngine Cloud Platform.



Sometimes it will be a vs. and sometimes it will be different approaches. Because believe me, there are some major differences. For example SQL Azure is a true relational database. I have setup a SQL Azure database, then use SSMS (SQL Server Management Studio) to connect to it, and create tables, etc. Then use SSIS to initially fill the tables or work with that data. It's that simple with creating your relational data with SQL Azure.




However with Google's AppEngine it's a different ball game as POJO's, Plain Old Java Objects are stored via JDO, or Java Data Objects, into a not so relational datastore.

So this is a totally different mind set in thinking.

Now, to point why this will be important for 2010, and beyond. First all of the previous news and interest up to this point, but now check out the following three links.:

- RCPMAG: Making a Cloud Play
Check this statement out from that post.:
"What are kids doing in college today? They don't have Windows servers sitting in their dorm rooms to build really cool applications -- but they do have access to the Google App Engine. What's going to happen in three to five years when those kids start coming into the workforce? You're going to come in with a proposal for $100,000 of infrastructure costs, and there's going to be some kid fresh out of college saying, 'I think I can do that for nothing.' You have to understand the tradeoffs. There might be a reason to spend $100,000 -- there might not be."

That is a big, and true statement. Think about what happened when all of us College kids had Microsoft to play with? Or Java even, how did that change the world? This is going to be a similar aspect.

Now the following, point to interest and also Microsoft expanding it's Office Web Applications testing.:

-ZDNet: Survey: cloud interest grows triple-fold; cost may not be main factor
-Microsoft expanding Office Web Apps test program

Both Microsoft Windows Azure Platform and Google.com AppEngine are in beta still but very soon will be in full swing. And I have been playing with both, and you can do a lot already with these two. Again though it's a totally different mindset sometimes when you look at how you design a service, application, etc.

So I am using this post to talk about the focus on the Cloud, and these two options for working with Dynamics AX instances, and having real world, pratical applications living in the cloud, parts living in the cloud, services living in the cloud, and interacting with Dynamic AX instances on different levels.

The Hybrid Cloud will be the most domaint, and will be like that for the next 5-8 years, as trust builds and certain low level aspects of the computing pardiam are worked out.

See you soon, as we will go cloud hopping! Yes cheezy closing tag... oh well!




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Dynamics AX in the Cloud. When & why?

Recently over at MSDynamicsWorld.com an article was posted by one of my peers, Jeff Onesto. The article is: What Is the Future of Microsoft Dynamics AX in the Cloud? Being Upfront About the Obstacles

He brings up good points, of how this is looked at from an OpEx point of view, for controllers and also risk that are involved with this, that are not being addressed, including security.

I think the following two sentences sum up the article well, though I recommend a full read of it.:

"Unfortunately, when it comes to mission critical business applications such as ERP, the model appears to be bit immature for many customers, and with too many questions left unanswered regarding security, control, regulation and speed."


And...

"Until many of the other issues I have discussed are resolved, though, I don't forecast the demand for enterprise business applications in the cloud will change and without demand I don't anticipate Microsoft offering Dynamics AX on-demand."


And to Jeff's points in the article I agree that total AX in the cloud is not something that will be in demand, and actually just does not make sense really at this point. May in the very distant future, or to some level like ERPLive.com will possibly offer to smaller instances.

I have wrote a good bit actually about the Cloud, and Microsoft's platform, Azure. The following are some of those post.:

• The Hybrid Cloud - Enterprise 2.1? (2007 Post)


• Microsoft's Cloud Computing Platform (2008 Post)


• Microsoft Azure Cloud Computing Platform (2008 Post)


• Arch. Journal: Mapping Applications to the Cloud (2009 Post)


• ZDNet: Microsoft to integrate Twitter into its Dynamics CRM (2009 Post)

There are more post, but these post actually show and talk about what Jeff points out. We see already AX consuming services and can consume cloud based services. We also CRM / XRM already in action with the same thing, and offering up as being hosted in the cloud if desired.

What must be stressed, just with anything else, is common sense. The post I did in 2007, the very first post was my vision for what I thought the cloud would mean for AX and the enterprise. It would be a Hybrid approach, to where some services and possible LOB applications will / would exist in the cloud while others remain on-premise.

What functionality makes sense to live in the cloud? This is determined by a lot of factors at times, and technology is actually most of the time least, unless the technology is limiting.

Functional ends should drive the means for what exist in the cloud. So it makes sense to have restful data stores in the cloud, that is common shared data among partners and customers. Like Jeff points out EDI for example, and credit card applications / consumptions and processing.

Look at MRP though for example... Master Scheduling. That does not make sense to live in the cloud. When would it make sense? Maybe never. Could be that feeds come into MRP that are cloud based services, but the actual execution, and processing of the outputs from MRP would live on-premise.

Plus adding the cloud, adds actually extra layer of abstraction, and though in cases that makes great sense, sometimes the extra complexity does not.

In the end, Jeff did a great write up, and I think that it's a timely one. It helps bring together what we have been talking about here, over the past two years. The cloud is for sure here, and here to stay. However, like other utilities and toolsets, when and how it is used for ERP should always be driven by the functional ends desired.

Don't get me wrong, being a technically focused consultant I love working with the latest technology. That however does not mean that the latest technology or possibly offering of technology makes sense to address problems at hand.

Thanks Jeff for the great write up, and check back soon here. More Lean coming with two interviews, one from Andrew Rummey the Org. Architect of the Microsoft Lean AX module, from eBECS and also from Dr. Scott Hamilton about is new Lean and AX book.

See you soon!




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Microsoft Azure Cloud Computing Platform

Microsoft yesterday at PDC talked about it's cloud computing platform, Azure. This was what I was talking about when I posted this post, earlier this month: Microsoft's Cloud Computing Platform (Wed. Oct. 1st 2008)
and here RCPMAG: Microsoft's Cloudy Future (Friday Oct. 3rd 2008)

Well now we have Azure, ready for CTP. This is the coming together of projects, technologies, terms, and the alike. In short Azure is a Cloud Platform, the only true one out there, where you will be able to develop on the cloud, for an Application that will be deployed to the cloud, to run and be ran in the cloud.

What is different about this platform, is it allows for Hybrid application to be developed as well, were half the solution or bits and parts could live and be developed in the cloud while others live hosted elsewhere, and still others live on site at a customer. This Hybride Software+Services+Cloud Approach. And that is how I see this impacting Dynamics AX in the future, until ERPLive.com goes live.

There is a great attempt to really explain this, by Mary Jo over at ZDnet: Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform: A guide for the perplexed

In this Mary Jo takes and: "Here’s my attempt to explain it.

Microsoft layed out its “Azure” foundational infrastructure for the cloud during the keynote kick-off on day one of the Professional Developers Conference (PDC) here in Los Angeles. The goal of Azure is to provide developers who want to write applications that run partially and/or entirely in a remote datacenter with a platform and set of tools."

I recommend you read it, and also read the comments. There is quite a bit of confusion, as well as great questions that is surronding this one blog entry by Mary Jo. There is good reason for that too. This is the next thing. This is the next platform.

Microsoft is a Platform company, and this is the next step for that Platform. Now is the time to understand it, as Dynamics ERP (ERPLive.com) will be heavy in this platform, on this platform, developed with and for this platform.

Look at this:


As you can see Microsoft Dynamics CRM Services is there. What do you think is next? Dynamics ERP Services and ERP Live.

So this is what we have been talking about, and waiting for. We all knew this was coming, and now we need to learn how to embrace it, improve it, develop for it, and do this all for the sake of our clients and customers. To give them the edge, that's why they hire us as Solution Providers. We take the platform from Microsoft and deploy the end solution for our clients. This is no different from that aspect, but very different from almost every way in the technial of the "how".

I for one am very excited about what this means. I know that I said I would be writing about Dynamics AX in economic down turns, and I plan to later this week, but this must have attention from us. This is our future, and it's just on the edge of being here... check back soon!

I leave you with this, the offical Microsoft home page: www.azure.com

Azure means clear blue sky, or implies that from it's word meaning. Funny huh? Microsoft's Clear Blue Sky Cloud Computing Platform. Pun here?

Update: Here is the MSDN Azure link, thought this was handy. It for sure is filled with a lot of information to go through: MSDN: Azure Services Platform




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Microsoft's Cloud Computing Platform

Well late this month, at the Professional Developers Conference, PDC for short Senior Vice President Bob Muglia from Microsoft is set to unveil Microsoft's 'cloud computing platform.'

This is already causing a small uproar with Amazon.com as they announced today that via their EC2, customers will be able to run Windows and SQL Server instances. (See here: Amazon launches pre-emptive strike against Microsoft’s planned cloud platform)

This is very exciting news, as this will be the first cloud computing, true platform that will exist. Others can say I am crazy, look to Salesforce.com, and Amazon... are they not platforms? No. They are services, trying to become a platfom. Microsoft is a platform, offering itself now via the cloud computing buzz word.

Reality, this is a hosted platform, in which Microsoft developers, customer, etc. all can develop solutions that are hosted and live full time in the cloud. These solutions can and will be developed via .Net and Visual Studio. This means that now cloud computing can really start to see an in-road into the enterprise, as enterprise and company developers start to take advantage of these offerings for company level projects, along with Microsoft VAR's, consumer facing products, and niche level solutions.

Just last month, Mary Jo over at ZDNet, wrote this following: Piecing together Microsoft’s cloud-computing vision which can give you some good insights into what will begin to be offered with this.

I am most excited about this, as the possibilities of developing solutions that surrond, make use of, expose and are a part of Dynamics AX solutions for customers. You could actually see VAR level offerings of solutions that enter the cloud before core Dynamics AX modules do. And that's a good thing, for customers, VAR's and client's a like.

All in all, I am ready to start designing solutions that involve cloud computing as part of them. This is an exciting new era, and possible solution offerings for customers. If your not looking into this, now is the time.

Check back soon!




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Clouds of change are forming

Alright, one may say that I have Clouds on the mind. But it's just because the 'Clouds of change are forming'. In my last post of talked about SCOPE and pointed you to a write up by Mary Jo Foley about SCOPE. This is directly related to Microsoft's backend cloud technology.

Well today, I want to point you to a new write up, over at Redmond Channel Partner Magazine, Ozzie's Vision of the Cloud Includes Partners - by Scott Bekker

And read the following from that post:

""Many business ISVs and many VARs will be looking to move their applications and solutions to the cloud just like we have," Ozzie said. "For them, like us, this technology shift towards services represents a significant opportunity, a chance for them to deliver to their enterprise customers the power of choice within their own application or solution." He called Microsoft's opportunity in the space "perfectly aligned" with the opportunity for partners."


I mentioned in my last post that we ISV's, VAR's, Microsoft Partners of all flavors need to start looking towards the coming Cloud computing from Microsoft. Even in the Dynamics area. I mean Dynamics CRM Live is something that is here, along with Exchange, Office, SharePoint, etc. Look at the next graph of Cloud and Hybrid on premise offerings already from Microsoft:



We have to stay experts at this, and that means that we have to start thinking about offering clients Hybrid choices on some of this stuff, understand how to make that work with cloud and on premise bases, and getting our solutions to interact, understand and live in both worlds.

I mean we have to have some reality check here, in that not all ERP / MRP / SCM functions can live in the cloud. Most companies are not ready for that, but some can, and some companies will push the edge. That means we have to start really thinking about this now.

And what will push this more and more into the cloud is Microsoft Office and Office SharePoint. These two key technologies that is driving more and more the interface for Dynamics, will continue to do so, which will allow these to be cloud ready and living in the cloud if need be.

Alright I will leave you with that. Check back soon, and bring your umbrella's, I think it's going to be raining Office soon! (yeah I know lame joke.)



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SCOPE ?

Mary Jo Foley, from the All About Microsoft Blog has posted something very interesting. It's about a whitepaper Microsoft will be releasing and talking about next month, for a new declarative scripting language that

"is optimized for storing and analyzing massive data sets (like search logs and click streams) that are key to cloud-scale service architectures."


SCOPE stands for: Structure Computations Optimized for Parallel Execution

Cool name huh? So what does this future DSL have to do with Dynamics AX or Dynamics in general?

This is for sure a future thing, but think large scale cloud instances of Dynamics functional area's, and offering that to any size company. And having the ability to truly scale over the virtual servers that make up a companies instance in the sky, and you can retrieve and get to their data quickly, and easily using a technology like SCOPE. This is theroy of course until it happens, but we in the Dynamics space should really be paying attention to the cloud computing that is going on. If we are to continue to be the experts, the VAR's and the ISV's of the future that is.

I would recommend checking out her post on this. "Microsoft’s road to the cloud is paved with parallelism"



Check back soon!




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Microsoft Software+Services a Go-Go!

Well early this week Microsoft got a lot or web ink geared around the announcement made (Press Release Here) on Monday about expanding their Online Services for businesses, or better known as Software+Services model.

When Microsoft first started offering this, it was considered beta, and it was only for those companies that had seat numbers >5,000. Now that beta testing is over, and Microsoft is expanding this Software+Services offerings of Exchange and SharePoint to all businesses.

This is the first real big move in realizing the buzz term of 'Software+Services' to a greater user base. This means that instead of talking about what 'Software+Services' could mean, customers have the ability to choose and see what it can mean for them with Exchange and SharePoint.

These offerings, are really a choice to customers, one were they make a decision to either host Exchange / SharePoint on their own managed servers or allow Microsoft to host their instances in the 'cloud' via Microsoft based hostings and partner shared hosting.

When asked in an interview, Bill Gates talked about Microsoft's focus on symmetry between 'Server and Service'. This is actually the focus of what Microsoft what to achieve in the future of these offerings. Meaning, right now when a customer chooses to go with the Service hosted offering of say SharePoint, they actually will loose some ability of customization and configuration options. So Right Now These offerings do pose more than just a host or not question. It's a host and loose some options or own and not loose those options.

So this symmetry that Microsoft is driving towards, means they are pushing for the next level of these offerings, to be in sync as far as options, customizations, etc. etc. to where the choice becomes more about scalability and delivery vs. that plus loosing ability.

With these new announcements, a week before Convergence 2008, in Orlando, one might wonder what this means for the future of Dynamics AX?

Well with the push of MOSS being the front end more and more for Dynamics AX 2009 (And beyond) and the Dynamics AX platform become more agile and having the ability for parts of it to be subscribed too, this means that such an offering for SharePoint to be hosted in the cloud (not just SaaS), could mean that we are very, very close to Hybrid architecture to where half a customers Dynamics AX implementation in on in house owned servers, and have lives in the cloud on services. And to the end user, they have no idea... unless one part goes down. ;-)

Check back soon!

P.S. It was about a year ago when I started talking about the Hybrid offerings that Software+Services from Microsoft would bring. Check this post out from last year: 'ERP Live - Software+Services'. Now we are seeing this type of offering coming even closer, with guess what... SharePoint at the heart of it. ;-)

Microsoft Labs - Volta (Cloud Computing)

Well I got some interesting news about Microsoft Live Labs Volta. Volta is a project that offers the ability, for use with VS2008, of allowing a developer to make use of development for the 'democratizing of the Cloud'.

Yeah I know, buzz word right? Well this is something real, and something that can be used now. The idea can be better understood with the following statement from this link: Volta Docs

"In essence Volta is a recompiler. Volta works on MSIL rather than on a textual source language. Volta rewrites MSIL into any number of target languages, including, today JavaScript and MSIL itself. Rewriting, as a general technology, lets us delay permanent decisions about architecture, execution platform and browser until after our code is basically working. Furthermore, it frees us from having to express all these irreversible decisions in your source code. The result is a programming model that enables us to easily reshape a working application, and finally realizes the promise of one application running anywhere.

Volta effects recompilation through 3 general capabilities: refactoring, retargeting, and remodulating. Refactoring converts single-tier code into distributed, concurrent code as directed by user-supplied annotations. Retargeting converts MSIL code into code for other virtual machines. Remodulating tailors a single piece of code for multiple browsers."

So with Volta we see the 3 abilities, of refactoring, retargeting, and remodulating. This means a single code base, that can be, at execution time, wrapped, packaged, displayed, and used based on the incoming client, vs. targeting given clients.

Keep in mind this is new, and a hard concept for a tradional developer to wrap their minds around. Still if you think about this way:

- A single code base that performs some business logic
- Volta developed, for offering up said code
- Said code is called from IE, and Volta does it's thing and IE uses it.
- Said same code is called from Firefox, and Volta does it's thing and Firefox use's it with no issues.
- Said same code is called from a MAC OS, and Volta does it's thing and Mac OS ise's it with no issues.

The developer did not target these, but instead the computin cloud consumed what the developer developed, and the Volta packaging, handled the refactoring, retagrgeting, and remodulation at the time of 'need' for running the code base, that enabled the 3 very different calling bases, could make use of the same code base.

With this the Developer does not know, or need to care, who and what will be calling. All the developer knows is his C# code does something and anything can call it.

Again this has great possibilites for future development. Right now you can download Volta and use it with VS2008. Man it's exicting, and what does this mean for DAX? The possibility of a Dynamics AX process being executed from a Mac, Linux, Unix, etc. Box... it's opens the door for possibilities for offering your ERP module, to the cloud, and allowing that cloud to cosume and make use of your DAX extended process, via Volta!

Check back soon!



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The Hybrid Cloud - Enterprise 2.1?

Right now a lot of companies and services are popping up around the effort to offer what is called Enterprise 2.0 services for companies. One thing to realize is a lot of these companies and their services are subscription based models for software, and are hosted away from the user's office. What's upsetting to see is services like Zing which was out on Aug. 11th. Now for sure services will go down, and so that is why for most medium to large sized businesses the best model for Enterprise 2.0 services and technologies is a Hybrid mesh or cloud approach.

Basically, the subscription model can work, and can be hosted via a Web 2.0 interface. What most companies would rather go for in this subscription based would be a hybrid in that though it is subscription based, the hosting is done still on site at the customer level. This means that when a package update happens, the customer's site is setup to get that latest package deployment in a pull down to update their subscription. This serves the better model, and so the customer maintains and controls their own destiny for owning and maintaining their own data, and hardware, but has a subscription to the software. This is how I see Microsoft's Software + Services working in the Dynamics AX future. This is the Hybrid cloud in that the software + Services is hosted on the customers hardware, would links possibly to outside web services for non-critical applications. The software becomes subscription modeled, and the underlying core is updated when pushed out, and the customer still has the ability to adapt and change that software at a higher level. This serves the purpose of the subsciption modeled software, and also serves the customer's interest in that they host it and therefore can be up when Microsoft possibly goes down. [Or the VAR that is hosting it for them]

This will feel even more comfortable with the latest release of Office 2007 and SharePoint 2007. And then in the next releases of Dynamics AX and Office, when they release in sync, and office becomes the front end for Dynamics AX, via SharePoint the Hybrid cloud will be extended to the customers desktop / information workers, but still hosted in a hybrid way with the customer itself. Again this would solve the current problems that plague SalesForce.com's, Zing.com's, and Google.com's Enterprise 2.0 offerings. This is why it is Called: Software+Services vs. Software as a Service. The big difference, will make all the difference, and that's why the future of Dynamics AX keep getting brighter and brighter as well look forward to the full offerings of what software+services will be bringing to Dynamics AX customers!

Let me end in saying maybe Microsoft is offering Enterprise 2.1, as they see the issues with the current Enterprise 2.0 offerings from SalesForce.com, Google.com, and so forth? So I should start calling Microsoft's Software+Services, Enterprise 2.1! :-)

Check back soon as I continue to post!

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