Rob's Tech Bits: 2007

Introduction of Patrick Cook - New Area Sales Manager for Dynamics (patrickc@microsoft.com)

Intro

60% of users workday spent looking for and retrieving data
GP 10 is a Technology release. Rewriting the app to take advantage of .NET, MOSS, etc.
GP 11 will be a feature release. Over 500 new features planned for GP 11.

Dynamics GP 10 Overview

Workflow
- Users of workflow do not have to be GP users
- When installed, adds workflow options directly into the GP client
- User 1 enters PO into GP and submits for approval
- User 2 is not a GP user, but authorized to approve PO's.
- User2 receives an email from the workflow process. She can edit the task, which pulls up an approval form published by MOSS.
  - Approve
  - Reject
  - Delegate
  - Request Change
  - Cancel
- Passes the task on up the line. User 3 loads MOSS and pulls up his workflow site. Opens the task and provides final approval.
  - Purchasing
  - A/P
  - GL
  - AR
  - Quote
  - Credit Limit Override
- Workflow can have logic requirements for only when something matches your requirement (only over a $$ amount, etc.)
- Built on Windows Workflow Foundation
- Additional workflow can be written using .NET
Excel Reports
- Live connections (2 way?) to Dynamics GP
- Uses Office Data Connection (ODC) to connect
- Launch
  - Administration
  - Other Reports
  - Excel Reports
- Not yet able to publish the resulting report out to Excel Services on MOSS (known issue under development)
- Can be published if using Analysis Services
  - Build an analysis cube that contains the information
  - Build an Excel spreadsheet that links to the analysis cube
  - Publish the excel doc into Excel Services
  - Add the Excel Web Access web part to the page where you want the data displayed
Action Panes and lists
- Similar to ribbon in Office
- Context sensitive action toolbar
- Allow the user to process transactions (put a group of customers on hold)

Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server (MOSS)

Excel Services
- Publish Excel spreadsheets in a web page (no excel required on the desktop)

Dynamics CRM Preview

Scheduled release date Jan-Mar
Major changes
- Switching to Windows Workflow Foundation
- Multi-Tenancy - Multiple copies of CRM on same server
- Better language support / currency for multi-national companies
- 3 Deployment options
  - On premises
  - CRM Live - Hosted at Microsoft
    - 1-2 users, don't want to buy equipment to host internally
  - Partner Hosted
- Multi-Currency
Any customizations written within the SDK should port fine from 3.0 - 4.0
All functions (except some administrative) can be run within Outlook
Sales
- Leads, Opportunities, Contacts and Accounts
- Customization demo - Predictive Lead Rating powered by Analysis Services (Solution Accelerator)
Service
- Satisfaction scorecard demo using Performance Point Server
Marketing

Partner Briefing

Introductions
Brad Rosen new Microsoft Partner Community Manager
Chet Kloss - Acting General Manager, Sales Manager, Depth Area Sales Manager (ASM)
Liz Siver - Market Development ASM
Patrick Cooks - Dynamics ASM
- Dan Kocon - PAM KY / TN
- Jeff Lowe Dynamics PAM for KY / TN
- Bryan Huddleston - IW SS KY / TN
- Mike McKinley ERP SEM KY / TN
- Lynne Sternesky - Platform ASR KY / TN
- Todd Smith - Dynamics ASR KY / TN

Patric Cook ASM for Dynamics
Sarah Knutson ASM Dynamics NEW
???? ASM Dynamics EXISTING
Growth
- #1 Growth for MBS ERP - North Central
- #2 NY Metro
- #3 Midwest
- #4 Southwest
- #5 Northwest
- #6 Heartland
- #7 South Central
Product Release path
- Silverlight
- Office Comm server 2007
- Windows Server 2008
- Visual Studio 2008
- SQL Server 2008
MS Heartland Priorities
- Server Launch
- Unified Communications
- Collaboration
- Dynamics CRM
- Partner Readiness Events (Core IO)
- Partner to Partner
Of Large Customers, those with Dynamics have largest revenue per organization. (316 of 2500 customers)
Unified Communications (UC) great growth over 5 years. (Office of 2010)
Ed Blackman moving to new role. Need new ERP SEM for Ohio
Heartland - ERP highest revenue opportunity ($23 million 2007 / $26m in 2008)
Collaboration biggest gap - $19m 2007 with projected of $23m in 2008
"remove obstacles to success" goal for maximizing partner relationships
Brett Wolf - PAM for platform. Based in CIN
Dynamic IT
- Unified and virtualized
  - more flexible
  - strengthen business continuity
  - able to scale
- Process-led / model driven
- service enabled
- user focused
Infrastructure Optimization
- Basic
  - uncoordinated, manual infrastructure
    - no policies for security or compliance
    - don't know health of services
    - no way to share information
    - hard to control environments
    - reactive to security threats
    - high touch deployments of software, patches and services
- Standardized
  - managed infrastructure / limited automation
    - AD used to manage resources, security
    - basic standards and policies not fully implemented
    - deployment of patches / desktop svcs provided with medium touch
    - inventory of hw and sw assets managed
- Rationalized
  - managed and consolidated infastructure with max automation
    - security proactive
    - zero-touch deployment
    - minimal desktop images and low-touch mgt
    - hw and sw inventory managed with license optimization
    - strict policies on usage and security
- Dynamic
  - fully automated management, dynamic resource usage, business linked SLAs
    - costs fully controlled
    - users/ data; servers / desktop fully integrated
    - high level of features for mobile users
    - fully automated processes, integrated into technology
    - able to measure investments in tech
    - self-provisioning software and quarantine systems automate processes
Components of Core Infrastructure
- Identity and Access Management
- Desktop, Server and Device Management
- Security and Networking
- Data Protection and Recovery
- IT and Security Process

Business Productivity Infrastructure Optimization

TerryS@microsoft.com
Thursday November 29th training day
November 6th - session on selling Unified Communications (UC)
Capabilities
- UC
  - integrating email, faxes and voicemail
  - presence information for co-workers
- Collaboration
  - basic = file sharing
  - dynamics = federation (sharing outside org),
- Enterprise Content Management
  - basic = forms and templates that have to be manually entered
  - dynamic = combining data sources across the enterprise
- Enterprise Search
  - basic = static websites, static information
  - dynamic = single search across multiple data sources,
- Business Intelligence
  - basic = running paper reports
  - dynamic = published reporting, with dynamics filters running against live data
BI - Improve Business Insight
- Integrate disparate business systems
  - data mining and reporting
  - LOB data and XML / WS / RSS
- analysis
  - Native excel support for SQL Server analysis svcs
  - Integrate with office apps
  - Business data catalog
- empower descisions
  - BI portal with integrated search
  - server based excel spreadsheets and calculations
  - flexible kpi's
Enterprise Search
- connect to wide information sources
  - Business data catalog - add LOB systems to search
- identify people with knowledge and experience
  - people search results grouped by social distance
  - auto-populated personal profiles
  - my-site portals
- manage and security search solutions
  - relevence tuning using authoritative sites
  - out-of the box reporting and analytics
  - customizable query-time security trimming
- All tied to desktop experience with Vista / Office 2007

Links

https://partner.microsoft.com/us/40047046 - Central Region Partner Awards

VAR open growth
small business transformation
compete to win
partnering to succeed
marketing excellence
customer experience
GM award

Heartland Area Partner Newsletter - hlapc@microsoft.com

https://partner.microsoft.com/40013533 - Central region monthly call information

https://partner.microsoft.com/us/heartland - Heartland Region Home Page

crrenew@microsoft.com - get list of all Open renewals among customer base.

www.microsoftincentives.com - current incentive list

www.microsoftfinancing.com - SmartPay Financing

www.playsmarterit.com - finance and win an smart car

www.microsoft.com/sam - software asset management

www.drivesam.com - free coffee and get your license statement

gregg.mccrabb@microsoft.com - SAM engagement manager

Action / Additional Notes

Get the non-timebombing VPC for CRM from Chad
Check out Enterprise CAL (eCal)
Check out benefits of federating (IM, presence information, calendar viewing) with ms counterparts
Exchange 2007 for Live Comm / Unified Comm