Kissimmee, Fla. (March 26, 2004) -- Project Green, the code name for the application that Microsoft Business Solutions plans to use to unify its accounting software line, may be delayed by Microsoft's emphasis on security, MBS president Doug Burgum told WebCPA this week.
Earlier this month, Microsoft said it would delay some key products while it worked on security. Analysts said that might delay the shipment of Longhorn, its next generation operating system. The shipment of Longhorn, which will provide a common engine for the line that now includes Great Plains, Solomon, Axapa and Navision, could delay Project Green, Burgum told WebCPA in an interview this week at the MBS Convergence end-user show. The first beta version of Longhorn is supposed to ship this summer.
"[Green] is now completely dependent on Longhorn," Burgum said. He said that that complete dependence on the Longhorn schedule represents a change from the original plan.
Although MBS has denied that Green has slipped badly, many resellers believe that a unified product is at least three years behind the original plan. MBS has discussed 2006 as a shipment date for the first version of Green, but the latest statements from MBS don't give a firm date. Many resellers believe that, given the resistance to buying first versions of Microsoft's product, Green won't be a major factor for another three years.
MBS plans to support the current accounting product lines until 2013, although it will probably stop actively marketing them earlier and phase in features of Green into the four products.
-- Bob Scott
