The news of the moment is Microsoft launching Dynamics AX 2016, a cloud-first, mobile-first solution that will revolutionize the present day work environment of enterprises. It is set to revolutionize the prevalent hybrid hosting solutions by encouraging enterprises to trust cloud with their data security.
It promises to be continuously evolving and its constantly being updated has prompted Microsoft to do away with the ‘versioning’ of Dynamics, sealing the move to cloud once and for all. Although on-premises options are also available, the recommendation is for enterprises to have their public and private deployments on cloud, which is primarily Microsoft’s own offering – Azure.
Key features that make the Azure-native architecture alluring to the enterprises
- Ultra-modern user experience
Legacy ERP systems are known for their outdated and rigid interfaces, mostly because their makers do not attribute them the priority that they do to consumer interface user experience. Microsoft Dynamics AX 2016 works on this front and comes up with an attractive, context-sensitive, and intuitive user interface based on Windows 8 and supported by HTML 5. The best part is that the system is accessible in browser, and thus does not require complex installations.
- Entirely cloud based solution
Azure deployment takes only one to one and a half hours. That is amazing speed for a full-fledged cloud environment. Enterprises can deploy the chunks that they want from Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Server, adding and removing servers as per their need. The highly scalable nature of Azure makes it ideal for testing, in addition to its inherent capabilities of simplification of production environments and reduction in the need of backup servers.
- Intelligent cloud applications
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2016 is optimized for integration with Power BI, Dynamics CRM, and Office 365. As a matter of fact, Dynamics 365 for Operations is often used interchangeably with Dynamics AX. Hence, it has strong computing capabilities, analytics logging, and actionable intelligence generation. Machine learning, and the support for Cortana add to these capabilities through their decision-making suggestions.
- Collaborative personalized workspaces
Another impressive feature of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2016 is the changed layout of workspaces. They are revamped to encourage more inter-departmental collaboration by having side panels that display supporting data from various channels of the ERP. With all data available on one screen, it is easy to make decisions, devise solutions, and confer with colleagues (and even clients).
- Evolved lifecycle management
Lifecycle services (LCS) have evolved such that regardless of the deployment method – cloud, hybrid, or on-premise, the installation and implementation of Dynamics AX is handled by it. Built-in tools and one-click installs have significantly reduced the installation time for each virtual machine. True to its name, LCS can manage the whole project lifecycle – requirement gathering, project planning, kick-off, development, design, testing, and launches.
- Powered by Visual Studio and .Net Framework
As opposed to other versions of Dynamics, the development can now be done in the familiar environment of Visual Studio. This saves considerable time that would otherwise be termed an overhead in training the developers on another IDE. As developers are already familiar with the .Net framework and Visual Studio, enterprises that choose to go with Dynamics AX 2016 are set to witness a huge productivity boost owing to this change by Microsoft.
To sum up
Dynamics AX 2016 provides enterprises with never before seen scalability, accessibility, and usability in an ERP solution. The fact that it can be accessed through any device with a browser and an Internet connection means a huge advantage for enterprises that have employees working remotely for longer durations. This, in addition to compatibility with non-Microsoft technologies like iOS and Android makes it the perfect system for enterprises joining the mobile-first movement in terms of workforce enablement. It has been rightly labeled the most intriguing technology solution in the last fifteen years!
