Microsoft introduces Microsoft Dynamics brand

At its first ever Business Summit event for midsize companies, Microsoft is announcing Microsoft Dynamics, the new brand of financial, customer relationship and supply-chain management solutions for small and midsize businesses, large organisations and divisions of global enterprises.

The new brand will replace Microsoft Business Solutions going forward and represents Microsoft`s strategy to align its products with its research and development roadmap, formerly referred to as "Project Green", which centres on a people and process-centric design approach to deliver breakthrough innovation in two significant release waves.

Microsoft Dynamics will be reflected in the following release cycles:

* Microsoft CRM becomes Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
* Microsoft Business Solutions-Great Plains becomes Microsoft Dynamics GP.
* Microsoft Business Solutions-Axapta becomes Microsoft Dynamics AX.
* Microsoft Business Solutions-Navision becomes Microsoft Dynamics NAV.
* Microsoft Business Solutions-Solomon becomes Microsoft Dynamics SL.

This first wave of major releases under Microsoft Dynamics will share common client technology that focuses on a role-based user experience with deep integration to Microsoft Office. Future waves of Microsoft Dynamics releases will focus on common server technology, including a common process model that combines the best business from each of the releases.

This iterative approach for introducing Microsoft Dynamics into the installed base is what customers are looking for: a staged migration that preserves their existing investments while receiving the benefits from Microsoft`s significant investments in research and development.

"While Microsoft will continue to use Business Solutions as the name of one of its seven divisions internally, we`ve decided to re-brand our business solutions products to make our customers` purchasing decisions easier and to accurately reflect our innovation roadmap. We believe this makes it easier for customers to know that Microsoft has an offering for businesses that want financial management, supply chain management and customer relationship management solutions. Our strategy is to converge our product lines, and this product naming strategy is a commitment toward our goal. Our branding and product-naming strategy is the next logical step in our evolution," says Kudsee.

The transition will occur over time as "Project Green" technology enters the market in our different products. You will start to see Microsoft Dynamics and corresponding product names appear in marketing materials in line with the release cycles of our products. Between now and the end of 2006, we are making major releases across our core product lines. You will see the name appear in the product lines in conjunction with these releases.

Other products developed by the business group such as Microsoft Point of Sale, Microsoft Retail Management System, Microsoft FRx or Microsoft C5 will remain branded as they currently are and not incorporate Microsoft Dynamics.

"This is a natural next step as we move to a converged product line and it`s consistent with what we have been saying about our roadmap. We are doing this to make our customers` purchasing decisions easier when Dynamics ships," Kudsee says.

"I think the switch to Microsoft Dynamics means a new level of opportunity. We`re focused on developing and enhancing our solutions so that they more deeply work like and with all the other great technology offered by Microsoft. Beneath all of that, we can provide our customers with a couple of core differentiators, which are affordability and adaptability, both of which are critical to the success of our customers.

"Microsoft expects to see Microsoft Dynamics in the next major releases of the products. It will also be visible in places like the Web and in other marketing materials. It will be dominant in a new global advertising campaign that will launch in 2006. In the next few months to the next year Microsoft Dynamics will have major releases of all of its flagship product lines," Kudsee concludes.