微软ERP系统（Microsoft Dynamics）有四个产品：GP, AX, NAV, SL。其中GP（原名 Great Plains）、SL （原名 Solomon）来源微软并购的USA本地产品，NAV（Navision）和AX（Axapta）来源于收购的丹麦一家软件公司的产品。其中AX 正由 中国长沙的创智软件集团MBS事业部（微软战略合作伙伴）http://www.powerise.com.cn/mbs/ 进行本地化，AX 4.0简体中文版计划2006年底完成。英文版 AX4.0 已发布，EMule 电骡软件可以DOWNLOAD。
这四个产品中，未来发展的重点是产品AX，它将集成其它产品的功能，这样有利于推广、本地化等工作，下面的文章对其未来的发展方向进行了预测，供参考。
本文来源于 http://www.albaspectrum.com，标题为：
Microsoft Dynamics: GP, AX, NAV, SL, CRM – merge or coexistence?
By Andrew Karasev
他的结论如下：
“我们相信未来的Microsoft Dynamics 将是几个应用系统的结合：Microsoft Dynamics AX 和小型商务财会系统将是其旗舰产品（对应大、中、小型商务），Microsoft Dynamics GP, NAV and SL 将维持目前的模式，以服务现存的客户且向产品的传统领域出售。Microsoft Dynamics AX 将会进一步开发和扩展功能，向ERP领域的纵深发展，并获得不断增长的销售。”
Conclusion ：We believe that future Microsoft Dynamics will be combination of several applications: Microsoft Dynamics AX and Microsoft Small Business Accounting will be the flagships (form large/midsize and small businesses respectively). Microsoft Dynamics GP, NAV and SL will be in maintenance mode to serve existing clients and sell to their traditional niches. Microsoft Dynamics AX will be in development and expansion mode – to get into ERP horizontals and verticals and new sales will be increasing for Microsoft Dynamics AX
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原文如下：
Obviously it is non-official opinion and we are just trying to guess on the future direction of Microsoft Dynamics or former Microsoft Project Green. These lines are written in June of 2006, based on the analysis of Microsoft Business Solutions policy and real actions in the USA, Europe, Latin America and Brazil. Let’s begin.
Software Initial Development vs. Purchasing and Branding. To create ERP application from scratch is probably too risky business and it requires venture capital intervention to make new-born MRP a success. Most Microsoft Dynamics ERP products were purchased, not developed from scratch (exception is Microsoft Dynamics CRM). Microsoft is good in finding a right moment to come to the market, when it is not yet mature, but it is clear that it is from now on real, not risky
Project Green Initiative. At least this was how we understood it back in earlier XXI century. It was like this – ERP application modules should be kind of standardized: Financials, HR, Distributions, Manufacturing, Logistics, etc. The integration between so-called Microsoft Suites is just a matter of technical solution development. As MS now owns several applications:
MS Outlook Interface. Obviously majority of office workers are familiar with MS Outlook, MS Word, Excel, or MS Office. And the idea to capitalize on this fact is very attractive. If you look at Microsoft Dynamics GP – it is evolutioning to get kind of the same interface as MS Outlook (the same should be told about Microsoft Small Business Accounting)
What is the Plan? Maybe it is a way more simple than it was initially planned? Let’s for the moment assume this – why should we merge products? We can make them interact with MS Office, MS Sharepoint, MS CRM, Exchange, etc. We can expose business logic for light development on .Net level – eConnect approach (leaving initial proprietary technologies: Great Plains Dexterity, Axapta MorphX/X++, Navision C/Side)
International Approach. Microsoft Axapta is good to be launched on emerging markets and we see strong MS efforts to launch Axapta (the newest in MS Dynamics ERP product line) in Brazil, LATAM, Russia – to name a few. Navision – well – this one has a lot of clients in Europe, plus MS BS probed Navision in East Europe and LATAM – for these existing clients MS will probably keep maintaining Microsoft Dynamics NAV line in maintenance. MS Great Plains – has strong presence in US/Canada – in order to keep these clients Microsoft Dynamics GP should be probably in maintenance and at the same time when company grows over its limits – conversion utility should help to migrate to Axapta/Microsoft Dynamics AX
ERP Maturity/Life Cycle. There is another theory – ERP has life cycle and it is too risky to purchase newcomer, it is good to purchase market winner and it is not good to purchase ERP in its phasing out mode. However MS might be breaking this traditional approach by integrating ERP into its MS Office stack of products
Multinational Corporation. Large company has to offset multiple risks, related to ERP market, MRP selection and implementation. It is good idea to have small budget to understand which international ERP brand (or combination of brands) is good for your international operations: Microsoft Dynamics, SAP mySAP or SAP Business One, Oracle E-Business Suite, etc. Good example – Brazilian operations of US company (Great Plains in Chicago headquarters) deployed SAP Business One in Brazil to comply to Brazilian regulation – one of the main reasons for this turn was GP is not localized and supported in Brazil
Conclusion. We believe that future Microsoft Dynamics will be combination of several applications: Microsoft Dynamics AX and Microsoft Small Business Accounting will be the flagships (form large/midsize and small businesses respectively). Microsoft Dynamics GP, NAV and SL will be in maintenance mode to serve existing clients and sell to their traditional niches. Microsoft Dynamics AX will be in development and expansion mode – to get into ERP horizontals and verticals and new sales will be increasing for Microsoft Dynamics AX
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Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com http://www.ronix-systems.de http://www.enterlogix.com.br ) - Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, Navision, Axapta, MS CRM, Oracle Financials, SAP Business One and IBM Lotus Domino Partner, serving corporate customers in the following industries: Aerospace & Defense, Medical & Healthcare, Distribution & Logistics, Hospitality, Banking & Finance, Wholesale & Retail, Chemicals, Oil & Gas, Placement & Recruiting, Advertising & Publishing, Textile, Pharmaceutical, Non-Profit, Beverages, Conglomerates, Apparels, Durables, Manufacturing and having locations in multiple states and internationally.
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