Whew - now that was a tradeshow. AXUG Summit 2016 invaded Tampa Florida last week for what turned out to be a high energy and high traffic event. Here are our top takeaways from last week...
AX 7 is now Dynamics 365 for Operations, because short names are overrated.
Older versions of AX like 2012 and 2009 will still be kicking it Axapta style, but the new AX is Dynamics 365 for Operations, effective November 1. Obviously, our old friend Axapta isn’t the only Microsoft technology affected by this change. CRM is becoming Dynamics 365 for Sales and “Project Madeira” is becoming Dynamics 365 for Financials, etc.
At the moment, the transition from AX 7 to D365 for Operations is mostly an aesthetic change. While the shiny new name and marketing have emerged, it’s basically the new AX under the hood so far. The combination of Operations, Sales, Financials, Field Service, Project Automation and other components makes for interesting possibilities, which brings us to our next point.
Things are about to get a lot cozier. With the transition to Dynamics 365, direct integration between the products soon-to-be-formerly AX 7, CRM, Project Madeira, FieldOne, and a few others is coming. It’s mysterious at this point, but it’s coming. D365 will be utilizing what Microsoft is referring to as the Common Data Model. Sales (CRM) and Operations (AX), for example, will still have their own databases. Any information that is valuable to both systems, however, will flow through the Common Data Model. It goes without saying that there are many unanswered questions as to how this will work, but the potential is there.
Speaking of potential, Microsoft has big plans involving AppSource
Mobile App creation with PowerApps (another component of Dynamics 365 offering)
Ability for users to search for, select and install solutions directly (hard to imagine for the AX world today, however that’s the direction Microsoft is guiding us to)
New HR offering is in the mix to compete with enterprise Human Resources solutions
Microsoft wants you in the cloud, but you’re not being forced there… yet. It was already clear for a few years that Microsoft’s vision is cloud-based. That message could not be any clearer at AXUG Summit 2016. It has now been confirmed that no D365 for Operations solution will be available as on premise only. While hybrid deployment will be an option (with announced retail, warehouse and shop floor local data collection solutions), components such as data aggregation analytics & intelligence, financial reporting & processing, and local device connectivity disaster recovery will only be available through the cloud.
Microsoft’s General Manager of Cloud Business Solutions Platform, Sri Srinivasan, openly stated “Dynamics AX2012 R3 is the last fully on premise version of AX. It will be supported through 2021.” This single statement may have been the most controversial of the entire Summit, causing quite an uproar in the user community. Only time will tell the full ramifications of Microsoft’s decision, though some users have already started a petition against the move.
Upgrade and License information. Expect a constant stream of updates and changes in the coming months, but the upgrade path from older versions of Microsoft Dynamics AX is beginning to take shape:
Upgrade tools for Dynamics AX 2009
Assisted upgrade for Dynamics AX 2009 to Dynamics 365 for Operations available in preview
Try the product with trial or 90-day offer
Take a look at the license transition policies
Upgrade tools for Dynamics AX 2012 (H1 CY2017)
Code upgrade service
Data upgrade tooling
Try online and start with 90-day offer
Attractive license transition policies
Microsoft also revealed some of the details about the license mapping from AX 7 to Dynamics 365. The “Functional” user license has disappeared in AX7. And now businesses with a large number of “Task” licenses in particular will find the mapping appealing. Significant discounts from Microsoft are also not out of the question when it comes to encouraging migration to D365.
Even with Microsoft’s increased presence, Summit still remained a true USER group gathering Sure, announcements about Dynamics 365 garnered much of the attention in Tampa, but when it came down to working through every day issues and face-to-face walk-throughs the user community stepped for each other. Especially dependent on what develops from the announcement of no on premise only D365 solution, relationships among users and partners will remain more important than ever.
Many local AXUG chapters are growing both in number and influence over the direction Microsoft chooses to take Dynamics 365. One such chapter is AXUG Kentucky, a group we are proud to know and who had not one, but TWO AXUG All Stars this year. Congratulations once again to Kelly Kane and Connie Thompson! Kelly also won 2016 AXUG Chapter Leader of the Year!
As for our experience at Summit, it was great speaking with users at sessions and on the expo floor. Special thanks goes out to our customers who joined us on the cruise!
Summit 2017 will be different, at least in name? AXUG and CRMUG specifically have uncertain futures. By uncertain, we don’t mean they are in any danger of disappearing, just evolving. There will still likely be some kind of distinction between D365 for Operations users and D365 for Sales users, but whether they will remain completely separate groups remains to be seen.
Most importantly, what’s the hashtag going to be?
