Make way! New release coming through! Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 momentum on Convergence day 2…
Yesterday was a memorable day for Microsoft Dynamics AX. After enjoying significant air-time in the Convergence 2011 Keynote Address – including the announcement by Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer of the August General Availability of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 (see my blog from yesterday), it was time to tell the whole story in the product general session.
And the interest and engagement was huge, with the General Session room (one of the largest in the conference center) full to overflowing – literally. Even the backup overflow room was, for want of a better word, overflowing.
General Session presenters Kees Hertogh, director Microsoft Dynamics AX Product Management, and Hal Howard, CVP Dynamics ERP R&D, explained how the powerful next generation architecture employed in the new release enables organizations to be more agile, while still retaining simplicity by design, and ease of use. The 60 minute general session included a series of business scenario demos that explained and demonstrated how Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 empowers people to anticipate and embrace change, enabling their organizations to thrive.
For example, the session kicked-off by demonstrating a mobile expense application that will help customers capture cash expenses and receipts with their Windows 7 phone. The expense info and images of the receipts are sent from the phone to the Azure cloud platform, from where they are transferred to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012. So when customers are back at the office, and ready to create their expense report, they will find not only their credit card expenses, but also the cash expenses and receipts they captured from their Windows 7 phone – ready to add to their expense report and submit for approval. No more forgotten cash expenses and lost receipts!
Now, with the fanfare of the day 1 keynotes and general sessions behind us, it has been time for Microsoft Dynamics AX customers to go deep on product functionality in concurrent sessions, interactive discussions and in the busy EXPO. And the interest in the coming Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 release is just as keen as it was yesterday.
Today, for example, it's the Hands on Labs area that is overflowing – with the ammount of seating available doubled to accommodate all the people who are eager to get hands on experience with the product.
And we don't expect the enthusiasm to get up to speed on Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 to dwindle just because our customers are heading home after the conference. So we have made sure that there are still plenty of opportunities for them to continue getting acquainted with the solution after they get home. We wouldn't want to leave them with a feeling of loss and emptiness – though they might just miss the great Peet's coffee and comfy beanbags in the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Launch Lounge.
For a start, we have great content that anyone can access on the Microsoft website, including a Preview Fact Sheet, video demo, and early customer evidence. For customers on CustomerSource (login required) we have a full public beta and Virtual Machine to download and explore, as well as What's New readiness materials, with more materials and demonstration tools to come. You can always check for new materials on the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Launch Portal on CustomerSource
All in all, the momentum around the new release here at Convergence has been huge, and feedback around the solution has been universally positive. And as always, the most valuable and authentic feedback is that which is delivered anonymously – or in this case, perhaps unintentionally. Helpful Hands-on Labs staff delivered a notepad to the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Launch Lounge filled with notes from HOL sessions. Without looking too closely – because we do respect our customers' privacy – a single underlined headline at the bottom of the page stood out.
It simply said "Dynamics AX 2012 is the way to go…" So thank you anonymous Convergence attendee, I can hardly think of a better way to sign off for today.
Microsoft Dynamics ERP Product Marketing
