enVista - Microsoft Releases Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

news announcementS

Microsoft Releases Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009
New ERP solution helps businesses thrive in a competitive global marketplace by controlling costs, managing risk and increasing employee productivity.

REDMOND, Wash., June 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp. today announced the general availability of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009, an adaptable business management solution that offers powerful new capabilities to help growing multi-site organizations streamline processes, reduce operational costs, manage compliance and drive informed decision-making.

As businesses expand globally, so does the complexity of managing accurate business insights and standardizing operations across multiple locations. Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 offers new multi-site and shared services capabilities, enabling customers to manage complex financial and supply chain processes more easily. For example, the new software can run multiple legal entities on a central installation and provide a single, integrated view of financial and supply chain information from facilities around the world, helping organizations simplify global planning. Advanced planning and reporting scenarios, such as consolidation and budgeting, are offered through integration with Microsoft Office Performance Point Server.

"With its innovative role-based user experience, improved reporting and BI capabilities, and improving platform harmonization, Microsoft Dynamics products should be on ERP selection shortlists for a variety of SMBs, particularly those that use Microsoft's server-based products," wrote R "Ray" Wang of Forrester Research Inc. in the firm's report "Microsoft Dynamics Gets Renewed Focus" in April 2008. "Multi-site companies should consider Dynamics AX."

Another business challenge that growing companies face is the increasing pressure to meet global and local regulatory compliance, a complex and costly problem that has been a top priority for chief executive officers and chief financial officers. Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 delivers core features to help companies limit these risks and lower total cost of compliance, including the following:

A compliance center that provides one central, integrated view of internal controls, key performance indicators (KPIs) and other compliance data.
Embedded workflows that automate business processes, enforcing standard operating procedures to limit organizational risks while still enabling organizations to quickly respond to changing market needs.
Country-specific functionality to help customers more easily comply with local regulations in 36 countries.

"Managing risk is an integral part of my job, and Microsoft Dynamics AX makes my job easier," said John Elmer, vice president, information systems, and controller, the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. "I can access critical company information from within the Executive Role Center and see a 360-degree view of our global IT and finance operations, ranging from compliance risks to how the company is tracking against forecasts." The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, based in New York, represents a wide variety of entertainment copyrights for more than 200 writers, including Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, through its theatrical, concert and music publishing divisions.

In a fast-paced world, people need software that helps them do their jobs more effectively and with minimal training. To increase productivity and foster more confident decision-making, the Role Tailored design of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 gives employees access to critical business data through the following new features:

A Role Center that prioritizes tasks and real-time information for a majority of business functions.
A user interface that looks and feels like familiar Microsoft Office software to help employees ramp up quickly, resulting in higher user productivity and more consistent adherence to business processes.
Self-service business intelligence tools using Microsoft Business Intelligence technologies to deliver standard KPIs by role and simplify end-user reporting, which results in more informed decision-making and integrity of information across the organization.
Preconfigured KPIs and reports enable customers to start immediately.

"Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 signals a new chapter in enterprise resource planning (ERP) user productivity," said Mogens Elsberg, general manager for Microsoft Dynamics ERP. "Employees using traditional ERP systems have had to wade through inefficient, time-intensive steps -- enter transactional data, run reports, analyze reports -- before they can do their jobs effectively. Through Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009's Role Center, employees from the executive suite to the warehouse have access to role-relevant business intelligence to help them make decision more efficiently. The Role Center provides a centralized view of each person's prioritized work lists based on their organization's configurable business processes and clearly identifies specific steps to take, thereby optimizing productivity."

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 integrates with other leading Microsoft technologies, maximizing the benefits of any company's overall IT investment. Benefits include the following:

Enhanced security, reliability and scalability though integration with Microsoft SQL Server 2008. For example, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009, through Microsoft SQL Server 2008, can compress the database size by 40 percent to 60 percent, which can lead to lower hardware and data maintenance costs.
Reduced operational complexity and IT management overhead with improved control through interoperability with Windows Essential Business Server 2008.
Improved ability to manage and administer projects through integration with Microsoft Office Project Server.
Easy communication with remote employees, customers and trading partners through integration with Microsoft unified communications.

About Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft Dynamics is a line of financial, customer relationship and supply chain management solutions that helps businesses work more effectively. Delivered through a network of channel partners providing specialized services, these integrated, adaptable business management solutions work like and with familiar Microsoft software to streamline processes across an entire business.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT - News ) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Please select from the following for further information: