Microsoft Maps ERP Strategy

Redmond, Wash. (June 18, 2004) -- Regardless of when Project Green -- Microsoft’s next-generation accounting product -- is released, Microsoft Business Solutions said that it's committed to improving its current line of enterprise resource planning products, which should see “significant enhancements” over the next 12 months.

The MBS line of ERP products includes Axapta, Solomon, Navision and Great Plains. The product strategy for these solutions involves five customer-centric technology themes that the ERP products will center on moving forward. These themes include best total cost of ownership, adaptive processes, empowered users, connected business, and “insightful.”

Each of the five themes “addresses a fundamental area in which a business application meets a customer need,” according to Satya Nadella, corporate vice president of Microsoft Business Solutions. "Business managers tell us they have a core set of operational requirements that they are concerned with above and beyond individual product features. These five product development themes transcend our individual product lines and focus on providing customers with holistic solutions to their business problems."

Axapta supports advanced manufacturing and supply chain management, as well as core financial management for the upper midmarket segment and divisions of large organizations or multinationals. Navision is also known for cross-industry financial management for the lower midmarket to midmarket segments, as well as for companies with multi-language needs. Solomon provides financial management with a particular focus on project management and accounting and distribution.

Great Plains offers midsized businesses cross-industry financial management and a broad set of add-on solutions. Version 8.0 of the product was released earlier this month, while Solomon 6.0 is scheduled for release in July, followed by Microsoft Navision 4.0 later this year and Microsoft Axapta 4.0 next year.

--WebCPA staff

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