Microsoft Dynamics GP Is Moving To The Cloud in 2013
As pointed out by Kevin Turner, Microsoft's Chief Operating Officer, in his opening address at Convergence the shift to the cloud has moved from being spoken of as a trend a year ago to a mainstream industry with a predicted growth from $40b to $240b by 2020, with some predictions showing even stronger growth. Microsoft have already expanded into cloud based services with Azure, Office 365 and Dynamics CRM and, starting with the next versions, are now ready to take Microsoft Dynamics ERP into the cloud.
In the third quarter of 2012 Microsoft will be releasing the next version of Microsoft Dynamics GP, until recently codenamed Microsoft Dynamics "12", which was confirmed with a third quarter release date as Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 at the annual Dynamics Convergence conference, held this year in Houston, Texas.
With this version comes Azure enablement (both Windows and SQL azure), a Silverlight web based client and multi-tenancy architecture allowing multiple instances of Microsoft Dynamics GP to be hosted on one instance of Microsoft SQL Server.
In a traditional installation of Microsoft Dynamics GP only one system database can be installed per instance of Microsoft SQL Server, referred to as a Single System Database Architecture;
A Single System Database Architecture is wasteful of resources as each SQL Server instance will be taking resources which may not be needed, increasing the server overhead for each instance. This is being resolved with Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 where Named System Database Architecture is being introduced whereby the system database, previously hardcoded to DYNAMICS, can be named during the installation process.
This allows for multiple instances of Microsoft Dynamics GP to be installed within a single instance of Microsoft SQL Server. The example below shows a single instance of SQL Server with three named system databases each with three companies, but could each contain ten, twenty, thirty or more companies;
Microsoft are aiming to use GP as a more competitive and flexible accounting and ERP solution for the SMB market, with more hosting options, more deployment options and a simplified pricing and licencing approach.
A key component of this is the new Silverlight web client, with new details announced at Convergence, which still uses the Dexterity components of the desktop client for business logic. Customisations in Dexterity will be translated through to the web client which is good news for customers, partners and ISVs as only one customisation will be require for both the desktop and web clients. Unfortunately, the newer pure .NET interfaces introduced in GP 10 may need to be reworked with Silverlight.
Below is a screenshot of the new web client front homepage which includes advanced UI elements such as a multi-window display within a single browser tab where GP windows will popup in front of other windows in the same tab;
To prevent too many popup windows, Microsoft have also introduced tabs to some of the forms. Below are two screenshots of the web client version of commonly used GP windows released mid-2011 by David Musgrave on the Developing for Dynamics GP blog last year.
The first is Vendor Maintenance which shows both the Ribbon and a row of tabs along the top which give access to the sub screens usually accessible via buttons along the bottom right of the standard client form;
The second form is the PO Entry form which, like the above Vendor Maintenance form, has been transformed using a template which provides the ability to change the layout of the form without making functionality changes;
A technical preview of Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 will be available very soon, which will not include the web client, followed by a second preview probably in summer 2012 including the web client with the launch events in December through to February.
Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 is not just about the web client; there is a long list of other enhancements, further details of which will be released by Microsoft over the coming weeks.
Ian Grieve
Wary of the cloud? You’re probably already using it!
Cloud computing is a buzz-word in IT at the moment, and it’s something that can either widen the eyes in excitement or strikes fear into the heart. But it’s really nothing to worry about, and there’s far more to ‘The Cloud’ than what it can offer businesses; in fact many people are using Cloud-based services already, and have been for years without even realising it.
The biggest example is webmail, such as Microsoft’s Hotmail or Google’s Gmail. These services are very much Cloud-based, allowing the user to log into email from any internet-enabled location and see their own specific email. You can write an email at home, save the draft, and finish it off somewhere else before sending it. That’s the Cloud working for you. Other examples are Google Docs, the more advanced business-orientated Microsoft Office 365. Apple’s i-devices have moved into the Cloud, offering users the ability to stream music or backup their devices on the Cloud. How about Dropbox, a tool allowing file-sharing for both home and business use without the need for the other person to be online at the same time? It’s even commonplace in gaming, with services such as Playstation Network and Xbox Live now allowing Cloud-based game saves which allow the user to save a game at home and pick up from the same spot at a friend’s house. A more extreme example of Cloud gaming is OnLive, which allows gameplay without the need for a gaming PC or tech-heavy consoles, as the hardware is all housed in Cloud-based servers accessible from anywhere you can get an internet connection.
So while you may be in the position of wondering where your life fits in with Cloud computing, feeling baffled about what it is, how it may affect your worklife in terms of your IT requirements, it can be enlightening to take a step back and consider just how useful the Cloud already is.
Chris Hayes
Microsoft and Telephony
These aren’t two words you’d usually associate with each other. Microsoft may have dominated the desktop, server and software applications markets and done very well in the games console sector, but telephony is something it’s never really managed to get right so far.
It’s provided integration from Windows to telephony systems through its TAPI interface, it’s had a few (unsuccessful) attempts to provide Windows mobile phone platforms and it’s tried to do desktop-to-desktop communications through OCS (Office Communication Server), but it’s never managed to really crack the voice communication market. As voice communication just becomes another aspect of data communications and the long running ‘convergence’ of the two continues, it seems clear that Microsoft realises that telephony is something it has got to get right. And if there’s one thing that history tells us, it’s that Microsoft can and will persevere to get its products right. It seems that there are 3 key plays from Microsoft that are meant to make this happen.
1. Windows Phone & Nokia
Microsoft’s latest moves in the mobile phone market are a far cry from its previous lackluster attempts. Having been shown the way by Apple, it needs to make up a lot of lost ground. The new Windows Phone operating system is a huge improvement on previous incarnations and its tile based user interface (UI) will soon become a commonplace sight with the launch of Windows 8 on the desktop later this year. This shared UI should help Microsoft drive adoption and, having used the Nokia Lumia phone for the last couple of months, I think Microsoft have finally got a genuinely good mobile phone product. There are still a few big stumbling blocks though – the first is getting more manufacturers to adopt Windows, the second is to improve battery life (which is still generally poor) and the third, critical barrier is the lack of apps compared to the Apple and Android handsets. Overall though, Microsoft has now got themselves on track and if they can start gaining market share (which may take a while), the rest should follow.
2. Lync
If you don’t know what Lync is – find out here. Lync is the latest incarnation of what was Office Communication Server (OCS) and enables organisations to deliver their own internal instant messaging and presence systems that integrate with other Microsoft Office products such as Exchange and SharePoint. What’s less well known, and currently less frequently used, is its ability to act as a PBX and provide a telephony system. As everybody continues to adopt VOIP (voice over IP) telephone systems, we expect that software based solutions, particularly Lync, are likely to become increasingly popular as PBX replacements due to their high levels of functionality, their flexibility and their cost effectiveness. Microsoft says that Lync is already a huge product for them and we think that over time it’s likely to become as widely used as other Office components such as SharePoint.
3. Skype
Microsoft made it’s biggest ever acquisition when it got Skype ($8.5bn), bringing with it a huge customer base (over 700 million users) and plenty of proven technology. Clearly, it’s got big plans for this and it’s a key part of the Microsoft voice strategy. As well as the obvious integration to Windows Phone (a new app has just been launched) and Lync, Microsoft also intends to use Skype’s capabilities across a wide range of its products, including the Xbox.
These three related investments signal Microsoft’s clear intention to be a significant player in the voice/telephony market. Whilst it may not become completely dominant in the way it has with desktop PCs, there aren’t many companies with the breadth of technology and products it now has or the deep pockets to keep improving them.
Management Reporter for Microsoft Dynamics AX, GP, NAV and SL
Financial Reporting is a huge industry, with many companies having in-house/outsourced resources dedicated to producing reports. Often, the individuals that need the reports are not the individuals creating the reports, which can lead to misinterpretation of requirements and time delays in an often time sensitive environment. The obvious solution is to merge the roles of the creator and the user of the reports.
Management Reporter (MR), a replacement for FRx, looks to merge these roles giving business users the ability to create reports without IT assistance or a technical background. Reporting is based on nominal codes (and Analytical Accounting in GP ) within the finance solution. The most common finance reports include the Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow analysis. Although we can generalise financial reporting into these three headings, it is common that companies will need numerous variations of these reporting themes. For example , Balance Sheets may be needed for individual companies, a selection of companies and total consolidation within a multi-company organisation together with potential multicurrency requirements. This highlights the need for the business users to have the ability to create reports, and allow extraction of report variations on an ad-hoc basis.
The concept of Management Reporter is based on Building Blocks which removes the technical aspect of creating reports. Every report is made up of these Building Blocks which can be reused . Below is a general description of each:
• Column Definitions – brings through the time frame of the report. e.g. Months or Years. Allows budgets and actuals to be included in the reports allowing comparisons to be made;
• Row Definitions – forms the structure of the report. This allows creation of the titles (e.g. Revenue) and allocates the nominal codes that are associated with the title;
• Tree Definitions – if your company’s nominal code is split into sections i.e. aaa-bbb-ccc, where aaa is assigned to departments such as sales, marketing and administration, trees will allow reporting based on the different departments. We could have a company profit and loss, and also split it into the various departments without recreating all of the building blocks;
• Report Definitions – This brings together the Columns, Rows and Trees to generate a report. This also defines the criteria for the report such as dates, and drill down levels.
Management Reporter allows calculations within the Building Blocks together with mapping data from external sources which provides flexibility in what is being reported. The aim of the Management Reporter is, once set up , to give the business user the ability to create a report at the touch of a button for the required period and departments.
FRx is compatible with the Dynamics range, Sage and Epicor, however support is being discontinued. The replacement of FRx, Management Reporter, has been restricted to the Microsoft Dynamics range (AX, GP, NAV and SL).
Reporting will continue to be a complicated environment. Tools like Management Reporter aim to give business users the power to create and generate reports, compiling information to a format that they require without the need for a technical background.
Password Policy & Password Fatigue
As a consultant I have been dealing with numerous organisations around the UK and Ireland for the last six years. In this time I have dealt with almost as many different password policies as I have clients, and this is before all the web sites I access are taken into account. The 2002 NTA Monitor Password Survey found that intensive computer users had 21 separate accounts requiring a password and, for added security, it is typically recommended that each password is unique to a login and not reused.
This recommendation, which I fully endorse, combined with complex password policies is resulting in growing password fatigue, the main issue of which is that it encourages people to adopt insecure password practices such as using the same password on multiple logins, choosing easy to guess passwords or even writing them down.
A perfect example of this is an organisation I dealt with recently where every user had to have a password with a minimum length of eight characters (mixed case letters and numbers) which needed to be changed every thirty days and could never be reused. Unfortunately, in this instance, password fatigue kicked in both for users and the IT department. Users, after holidays and sometimes even after long weekends, were often unable to remember the strong passwords that they had to change so regularly that they either wrote the password down on a post-it note, stuck to the computer, or they'd forget the password and lock themselves out of the system and then need to ring the IT department to get their password reset. After a fairly short time of dealing with the same repeated call, the IT Helpdesk Manager started to advise users to pick a word followed by a number and just increment the number every thirty days. While technically the password policy in place should have been secure, the reality was very different.
I've spent a lot of time driving round the country to and from client site and I've ended up thinking a lot about password policies (it's something to do on the long journeys). I've come to the conclusion that forcing complex passwords (mixed case letters with numbers) of a minimum length (as longer passwords are harder to crack than shorter ones) is a good policy, I can't accept that forcing the password to be changed at specific intervals is good policy.
Typically, the maximum age password policy requires a password to be changed every thirty, sixty or ninety days. If you suspect someone knows your password you should be changing it immediately and not waiting for the maximum age policy to kick in; if no-one knows your password then what is the benefit of changing it? The usual argument people have used is that it makes the use of dictionary or rainbow table attacks harder, but this is only true if the new password is guaranteed to be stronger than the old one which I'd say is never the case. Certainly my passwords remain of similar strength to the old ones whenever I change one and people I've discussed this wth agree the same for their own.
Technically, the "weakest" password I have is my main credit card as I haven't changed the password for twelve years, but both the username and password (mixed case letters with numbers) have never been used elsewhere and are not words found in the dictionary; as such I'd probably regard it as one of the strongest as I was able to pick both a username (instead of being forced to use an email address) and password.
On reflection, if I was to design a password policy that will avoid contributing to password fatigue I'd go with the following;
- Passwords must be eight characters or longer
- Passwords must be complex (mixed case letters plus at least one number and symbol)
- Passwords can't include the username
- Passwords can't include the user's firstname or surname
- Passwords can't be older than 30 days
- Passwords can't be changed within 7 days
Hybrid Computing Models
A decade or so ago, the main consideration for buying servers was the operating system you used – there was a wide variety of offerings such as Netware, Unix, Windows, not to mention a range of proprietary mid-range systems and mainframes. Whilst there are still choices around operating systems, the variety has reduced and a few clear winners have emerged.
The big question now is, do you get a server at all or do you consider using a cloud solution? Or are you going to choose an application that’s delivered through SaaS (software as a service) so you don’t need a server at all? Or perhaps you want to buy some servers to create your own private cloud? These are far more fundamental decisions that are primarily driven by commercial rather than technical factors.
A mixed, or hybrid, model of infrastructure to deliver your IT needs is going to become increasingly prevalent, because different systems will require different approaches to your infrastructure. For example:
- Best of breed applications that are the best match for your business needs may only be delivered through a SaaS model;
- Increasing demand for access to applications from anywhere on a variety of devices may make cloud or hosted delivery the most appropriate approach;
- Compliance or technical requirements may make traditional, self-hosted infrastructure the only option for some situations;
- Quick fix, tactical solutions or applications where data or processing needs are unclear may be best delivered through cloud solutions.
In short, every situation is unique and you want to pick the best route for your own circumstances. That’s why at Perfect Image we don’t blindly advocate or promote just one approach; we look to provide the best approach for you. We think that increasingly this is the way IT Managers will think about things and for many larger organisations a mixture of approaches will become inevitable.
Microsoft Dynamics GP Roadmap Through To 2016
One of the advantages of dealing with an enterprise focused software company, like Microsoft, is that they try to be transparent about the direction of future development and regularly produce roadmaps for their products to allow partners and clients to plan ahead.
To this end, at the recent GPUG Summit 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Microsoft announced an updated roadmap for Microsoft Dynamics GP with details of releases through to GP "15" in 2016 (screenshot courtesy of Microsoft Dynamics GP MVP Mariano Gomez, the Dynamics GP Blogster);
Microsoft Dynamics GP "12", due for release in 2012, includes a Silverlight based web client, multi-tenancy architecture, enhanced integration with Office 365, Payables remittance reprint (without reprinting the cheques), SSRS as an alternative to Report Writer and Fixed Assets batches which allow depreciation figures to be reviewed before posting to the GL, amongst other enhancements.
Unlike Dynamics CRM and Nav, Microsoft do not intend to provide a cloud hosted solution for Microsoft Dynamics GP and have instead opted to enable partners to provide a hosted solution to their clients using the multi-tenancy architecture, which allows reduced hosting and SQL licensing costs, and web client which allows any Silverlight enabled web browser to access and run Microsoft Dynamics GP (custom screens will also be available in the web client).
According to the roadmap for Microsoft Dynamics GP "14" and "15", development will continue down the route of enhancing the UI and simplifying the deployment and operational workflow.
6 Reasons Why Using IT Contractors Doesn’t Always Work
I’ve got nothing at all against IT contractors per se, and used in the right way they can be extremely useful parts of a team. However, we’ve seen far too many organisations where they’re a significant contribution to the failure of a project or service provision. The problem isn’t usually the contractors themselves, but the way they’re used. In no particular order, here are some common concerns.
1. Companies often seem to assume that contractors are experienced and can be relied on to manage themselves. This may be true for some but it certainly isn’t for all. After all, it’s not always in a contractor’s own interests to get a job done efficiently.2. Having more contractors on a job than permanent staff rarely seems to work. Again, collective self-interest often ends up in projects being “gold-plated” or inefficiently delivered, especially if the senior project members are contractors.3. Some people seem to assume that because you are a contractor you must be good at what you do. This clearly isn’t always the case, so why do so many organisations fail to take as much care in recruiting a contractor as a permanent member of staff?4. What happens when the project is delivered and the solution goes into maintenance mode? If much of the knowledge disappears when the contractor(s) leave then the lifetime of the solution will usually go down and the TCO (total cost of ownership) will go up.5. Motivating contractors can be harder than motivating permanent staff; that’s just human nature. Contractors can sometimes also demotivate permanent staff if they perceive that contractors are paid more and are less committed.6. There is a tendency for some contractors to hold on to their knowledge rather than share it with the others in the team to help protect their position. This can harm both the ongoing project as well as its future support.I’m not suggesting that the alternatives of using permanent staff or engaging an outside company guarantee successful projects, but heavy or inappropriate use of contractors does seem to bring its own, additional risks. If you manage it right and have the right contractors then all can be fine - it just doesn’t seem to work out that way very often.What’s Windows 8 going to do for me?
Microsoft has an unenviable balancing act to perform. Technology professionals and enthusiasts need and want to know about what new technology is coming as early as possible so they can plan for it. However, it also means early Microsoft software previews have a tendency to be changed by the time they get released – sometimes as a result of feedback from testers, but sometimes just because Microsoft can’t reliably deliver some of the features in time. The other danger for Microsoft is that everybody sees the new, shiny, future version and decides to wait for that rather than upgrade to today’s version now.
So with that in mind, what should we make of Microsoft’s “developer preview” of Windows 8? There isn’t even a hint as to when it might be released although many suspect late 2012.
The obvious thing that’s been focused on in most reviews is the new “Metro” interface, which is largely derived from Microsoft’s current smartphone OS. It looks nice and, without a doubt, it’s been designed with one eye firmly on the tablet/touch screen market and taking on the iPad. It’s going to be interesting to see how typical users adapt to it on a traditional PC or laptop though. It’ll take a bit of getting used to but many will no doubt see it as an improvement, whilst others will be resistant to the change. For the latter group, Microsoft has provided the option to run a Windows 7 style interface instead.
The key to the new user interface’s success will be whether applications are written to use it; switching between “Metro” and current styles of programs could become confusing or annoying; time will tell.
So what’s going to encourage organisations to move to Windows 8 – is there more to it than the user interface? Fortunately (for Microsoft) the answer is yes, although many of the benefits are of a technical nature (as you would expect with an operating system). In no particular order, some of the things that stand out are:
- System wide searching and spell-checking built in.
- Improved performance over Windows 7 (although this may be marginal and could change by the release date).
- A better Task Manager that provides an easier interface for most users, but more information for power users who want it.
- An improved way to effectively reinstall a clean version of Windows itself, without removing any installed applications, settings or data which should significantly improve system support and reliability.
- An online application store, much like Apple’s.
- Live cloud syncing to keep multiple PCs current with your data, social network settings etc; again this seems to be following Apple’s iCloud lead.
(Note that we’re only talking about the client version of Windows 8 – we’ll look at the Server edition another time, as that has some other, more significant, changes in it.)
So should you delay any upgrades and wait for 8 to be available? Well, it looks good and should be a big step forward for Windows, allowing it to catch up with features that Apple has been providing whilst keeping compatibility with previous versions of Windows. However, it’s a little way off yet (nobody knows how far, of course) so if you’ve currently using XP or Vista then for most people we’d strongly recommend that you make the move to Windows 7 rather than wait for 8. As always though, everything depends on your own unique circumstances.
Dynamics GP on Windows 8
Windows 8 Developer Preview was made available for download a short time ago and I've just installed it on an old laptop (an Acer Aspire 9301 WMSi with 4GB RAM). I've not bothered with screenshots of the install as it is very much the same as Windows 7, and was as smooth an install as Windows 7 as well.
Once Windows 8 finished installing it booted into a Metro configuration screen where I filled in the Computer Name, Connected to the wireless network, and had an option for Express or Customized settings; I just wanted to get to the good stuff so went Express. Maybe over the weekend I'll redo this and try the Customized settings (I wish after picking English (United Kingdom) it allowed me to Customise my settings).
The next step, and slightly unusual, is to setup a Log on by entering a password to create a Windows Live account; I already have one but no option was easily apparent to use an existing one. I entered my current Windows Live ID to see what would happen.
Well, it recognised it as an existing Windows Live ID and prompted for the password and moved to 'Finalizing your settings' (couldn't it finalise my settings?). It's definitely logged into Windows Live as it's pulled back my full name. Also just noticed it's all green instead of blue as Microsoft have traditionally done. BSODs are still blue though (I tried installing it into Windows Virtual PC earlier and got one).
Once all preparation is finished it loads up the Metro UI (a brief flicker of Windows 7 style desktop on the way in).
With the first stage, installing Windows 8 Developer's Preview, completed I could then start on the second stage which is to install SQL Server 2008 R2. This installation was slightly easier than normal as I didn't need to install third party virtual drive software, but simply right click on the iso and select Mount.
Once mounted in the built-in virtual drive, the iso becomes available as if it were a standard DVD drive.
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Setup detected the absence of the required .NET Framework and prompted to install the .NET Framework Core role, I think phrased more like Windows 2008 Server than Windows 7.
The rest of the SQL Server installation went as normal and I then moved onto installing Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 R2. Once installed GP was easy to find using the Metro Home Screen, which replaces the Windows Start Menu but works exactly the same way. Hit the Start key and start typing the program name.
I encountered no problems whatsoever with either installing or running Microsot Dynamics GP 2010 R2. My natural cynicism had me thinking that there was going to be some sort of issue, but none.
Windows 8 is quite a while from release but it is nice to see that a release, which I think lies somewhere between Alpha and Beta, functions and in fact works quite well. Windows 8 is snappy and responsive, and the traditional Desktop works as it always did.
I think the Metro applications will take a little getting used to; I'm used to closing programs when I'm done with them rather than just switching out of them (which sends them into a suspended mode).
Ian Grieve
