Provided the year-and-a-half-old missive from Microsoft Chief Software architect Ray Ozzie that all Microsoft software must consist of companies add-ons, it's not surprising that Microsoft is looking to integrate its Dynamics CRM Live service with its on-premise Dynamics ERP software program. What is surprising is how rapidly that is likely to happen. At the Convergence conference for Microsoft ERP and CRM customers and partners in San Diego this week, company officials shared with attendees a roadmap for the next version of Dynamics AX (Axapta) ERP software. By the fourth calendar quarter of 2007, Microsoft expects to be able to deliver Dynamics AX extensions supporting CRM integration,
Office 2010 Standard, according to Microsoft's plans. And by the time Microsoft ships Dynamics AX 5.0 in the second 50 percent of 2008, the Axapta ERP product will be fully integrated with Microsoft's CRM Live service, company officials said. Brad Wilson,
Office 2010 Activation, general manager of Microsoft CRM,
Microsoft Office 2007 Professional, said Microsoft is working on the integration layer that will enable CRM Live to work with the company's various Dynamics CRM offerings. When asked whether Microsoft was looking at possible bundles of CRM Live with other Microsoft Live properties, Wilson said that was the case,
Windows 7 Professional Key, but declined to provide specifics on any of the bundles under consideration. As it is doing with the other three Microsoft ERP suites, Microsoft is gradually slowing the release pace of its Dynamics AX product line. Here's the rest of the Dynamics AX roadmap that officials shared with Convergence attendees this week: * Dynamics AX 4.0 Service Pack (SP) 2: Summer 2007 * Dynamics AX 4.0 extensions, including CRM integration and Lean Manufacturing methodology integration: Q4 2007 * Dynamics AX 5.0: Second 50 percent of 2008 * Dynamics AX 6.0: 2010 In addition to including CRM Live integration, Dynamics AX 5.0 also will consist of "shared companies enablement," support for additional,
Windows 7 Home Basic Key, unspecified Web solutions, build-in Lean Manufacturing support; Ribbon-like user interface; 50 "role-tailored" pages; a CXO dashboard and Windows Workflow integration, according to company officials.