Microsoft rolls out ERP Live

For some reason, Microsoft isn't calling the hosted versions of its Microsoft Dynamics ERP products "ERP Live."

But, in effect, that is what the hostable Dynamics GP, Dynamics NAV, Dynamics SL and Dynamics AX products, rolled out in Munich on November 6 by Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates at the Convergence EMEA conference, really are.

I'm betting that the Microsoft naming police got cold feet, folling the "Live" naming spree upon which the Softies embarked earlier this year.

But the name doesn't matter as much as the monthly subscription licensing plan for Microsoft partners (and their customers), via which they will be able to purchase Microsoft's four ERP suites under the new extension to Microsoft's Service Provider License Agreement (SPLA) program.

The new option "will enable Microsoft customers to subscribe to a partner-hosted version of Microsoft Dynamics enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions on a monthly basis, helping reduce deployment time for businesses that need a new solution immediately," according to Microsoft's press release.

Microsoft is readying another member of its Dynamics Live family -- Dynamics CRM Live (also known as CRM 4.0 and/or code name "Titan") -- for release in the first half of 2007.

At the Convergence confab, Gates is also set to show off a number of other online Dynamics-related services from Microsoft and its partners, including Microsoft adCenter integration; eBay integration; various online collaboration services via which customers, partners and suppliers will be able to interconnect; and forthcoming online business processes that initially will roll out as part of Dynamics CRM Live.

Again, it's kind of puzzling that the Dynamics team isn't attempting to jump on the Microsoft Live bandwagon and simply label all of these things as new and improved (!) Live services. But, again, maybe it's a sign that has Microsoft realized that its Live label seems to be confusing its constituents more than informing them.