Microsoft begins shipping two new Dynamics ERP releases

Microsoft made available for shipping on June 18 two new ERP releases: Dynamics GP 10.0 and Dynamics SL 7.0.

In March, Microsoft officials said these new updates would be available starting in June.

"We're on time and on delivery," said Jon Pratt, a Microsoft Business Division senior director.

GP 10.0 includes the role-tailored experience interface that Microsoft has been touting for the past couple of years. The 10.0 release ships with a choice of 22 predefined user roles, but others can be tailor-made by customers. The new 10.0 update also features action panes and lists, which make the product look and feel more like Office 2007, with its Ribbon interface.

GP 10.0 also adds new human-resource and payroll functionality that is attuned to healthcare and government-agency users of the product, Pratt said. GP 10.0 integrates SharePoint's Workflow Foundation directly into the product. Thanks to SharePoint server, GP 10.0 allows users to make use of structured/unstructured search, he added.

Meanwhile, SL 7.0 is now .Net-enabled, Pratt said. The business portal functionality within the product has been "completely overhauled," according to Pratt.

SL 7.0 is "all managed code now, and can run on SharePoint Services or SharePoint Server," Pratt said.

Earlier this year, Microsoft officials said they plan to slow its Dynamics ERP release pace. Microsoft is looking to move to an every 18- to 24-month new release schedule for its four differnet ERP products -- a schedule more like that followed by the Microsoft Office team.