Kevin Machayya is a 15-year veteran of Microsoft and Great Plains Software. He has held various roles in technical support, customer service, and sales operations. For the last 11 years, Kevin has focused on the Microsoft Dynamics partner channel through partner account management, readiness, marketing, resourcing/staffing and development programs.
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Microsoft Specialist accreditations recognize sales and IT professionals who demonstrate solution selling expertise for selected Microsoft workloads. If you have been preparing for an accreditation, or are considering getting one, this warm-weather incentive may help you meet your goal.
When you pass an assessment this spring, you will earn an accreditation and be automatically entered into our sweepstakes drawing for one of the following prizes:
· Two (2) grand prizes: Travel packages to The Fairmont Kea Lani on the Island of Maui · Ten (10) first prizes: $200 Teva gift cards · Thirty (30) second prizes: $50 Teva gift cards
This offer ends May 31, 2013. Please visit the MPN Portal for official rules and more information.
--Kevin
You are invited to join Microsoft Dynamics Operations on April 17 at 11:00AM PT for an important Live Meeting event. Session topics include:
· Improvements to tools, systems and processes · Microsoft SQL Server Runtime - Licensing Updates to Existing Customer Accounts · Inner Circle and Presidents Club and Key Messages from Convergence · Promotions, Tips and Important Reminders
The Dynamics Hour offers partners a monthly training opportunity where subject matter experts deep dive on one or two Operational topics. Register for this or other operational training events or see past recordings on PartnerSource.
Join the April 2013 Microsoft Dynamics Road to Repeatability call focused on content creation for inbound marketing.
According to a recent survey, 64% of business to business marketers are challenged with creating content to support their marketing strategies. It’s no wonder. Marketers face a growing need for content to feed their inbound marketing efforts and attract prospects. How do you create relevant, powerful content consistently? (And what does relevant and powerful content look like?) How much content do you need and what really works? We’ll take a deep dive and provide tips and tools you can use to keep the content flowing and new customers beating a path to your door.
This 60-minute session takes place April 17 at 11:00AM PT. Visit the Partner Learning Center to register.
There are a couple of upcoming web seminars scheduled for April and May dedicated to Microsoft Stack and Microsoft Dynamics integrations. These new events are targeted at Microsoft Dynamics AX and Microsoft Dynamics CRM partners. We’ve held a few Microsoft stack events recently, and if you have other related topics you’d like us to address please provide a comment below.
Microsoft Stack: Learn the Technologies and Functionalities that make up this Comprehensive Solution April 22. 2013 – 11:00AM PT – Register on the Partner Learning Center
The sessions was well received at the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Industry Summit and requested by partners. In this web seminar you will learn:
· Analysts reports · Competitive differentiators · Value proposition points · Value benefits · Operational benefits · Microsoft Value Proposition
Master Data Services (MDS): The SQL Server Solution for Master Data Management May 22, 2013 – 11:00AM PT – Register on the Partner Learning Center
The emphasis on regulatory compliance, SOA, and mergers and acquisitions has made the creating and maintaining of accurate and complete master data a business imperative. This highly discussed topic will be covered and will include scenarios using these architectures:
· SQL Server Master Data Services (MDS) · Enterprise Services Bus using Microsoft BizTalk Server · Microsoft Dynamics CRM Connector to synchronize ERP and CRM data
For this web seminar we’ll focus on a very well-understood and easily identified master-data items such as "Customer" and "Product”. We’ll also discover what master data management capabilities are included in Microsoft Dynamics AX and Microsoft Dynamics CRM products.
Guest post by Laura Pfohl, CEO and Founder, Sopris Systems
Kati Hvidtfeldt has moved on to lead application program management for Microsoft Dynamics NAV. With the discontinuation of Kati Unplugged, we will continue to give partners perspectives on the benefits and challenges of offering cloud-based solutions to their customers.
This week, Laura Pfohl, CEO and Founder of Sopris Systems, shares her insights into how and why Sopris entered the cloud arena in vertical markets.
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My experience with Microsoft Dynamics AX goes back 18 years—all the way back to Axapta 1.0, through the 2002 Microsoft acquisition, to today. Sopris was one of the first companies to work with Microsoft Dynamics AX in the US—in fact we started as a company that specialized in Microsoft Dynamics AX.
We started out with a very horizontal focus. But with the larger partners out there we struggled in the competitive arena. We knew we had to differentiate, and we saw a need in the architectural engineering/construction space for a mobile field service product.
We found that firms in that industry tend to be mid-sized or upper tier small businesses with seasonal fluctuations, so the idea of focusing on a hosted solution made sense. They’re all about materials testing, building, and constructing, so the industry slows down in winter. With big ebbs and flows in the staffing pool, architectural engineering and construction companies need the flexibility of ERP in a hosted environment to get what they need on demand.
As a result, Sopris was one of the few partners early on to offer Microsoft Dynamics AX in a hosted environment, which we’ve been delivering for five or six years. We really focused our efforts around the core Microsoft SharePoint capabilities. Because of the device independent framework, we’re able to use SharePoint and enterprise portals for the application platform, avoiding the need to build custom apps for different devices. For customers in the materials testing arena, it’s about how quickly they can get the data. A job is put on hold until the information is delivered, so delivering real-time results in field helped us offer a service to the customer that set us apart from competitors.
We’re finding that the vertical we’ve become very specialized in—with the mobile field service feature—has applications in other areas. So now we are working on strategic planning to identify other industries that benefit from the mobile capabilities.
From a partner perspective, hosted vertical solutions can be beneficial for a number of reasons:
· Cloud annuitized model benefits long-term cash flow.
· You can reach markets that can’t handle the initial cash outlay required for an on premises ERP solution.
· The obvious benefit is customer adds: in the sixteen months after rollout we added fourteen new customers—a significant number in the Microsoft Dynamics AX world.
· Building expertise and a volume of customers in a particular industry leads to referrals and expansion in that industry.
· Customers want instant access to real-time data, from anywhere. Partners that can offer that service stand apart from competitors.
We like having hosting available to us through three trusted hosting companies. Our hosting partners are unique in their offerings, so we use them for different implementations. For example, one is stronger in its global offerings, and one is more focused on North America.
We’ve built our business on offering unique vertical solutions on premises and in the cloud. We’re excited to see what new opportunities Windows Azure will bring, as well as the next version of Microsoft Dynamics AX, which will be full html—a true cloud application.
Sopris Systems is a Microsoft gold-certified solutions provider dedicated to helping our customers align their technology goals with critical business applications to deliver measurable business performance.
To learn more about how to incorporate cloud-based solutions into your business plans visit the Microsoft Dynamics ERP Cloud page on PartnerSource. Go to www.microsoft.com/dynamics/growyourbusiness for resources that demonstrate to customers how Microsoft Dynamics ERP cloud, hybrid and on-premise solutions can benefit their businesses.
I want to be sure you do not miss the final registration discount opportunity for the 2013 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in Houston, Texas from July 7–11.
Early Bird Registration ends Today (April 5)
Early-bird registration for WPC 2013 is open online – at just $1,795 for your all-access pass, you’ll get a savings of $200 (full price is $1,995). There is an additional $200 refund for registrations that qualify for the Group Registration Discount (details).
WPC Partner of the Year Award Nomination Tool Closes Today (April 5)
Also don’t miss your opportunity to be recognized for the great work you do. Submit your self-nomination today and download guidelines, categories, rules, and tips on the Awards homepage.
I hope you will plan to join us in Houston this year for a great event!
The US Technical Architecture team has created a great upcoming learning opportunity for Microsoft Dynamics CRM partners.
The Microsoft Dynamics CRM APIs for external applications only speak SOAP. Windows 8 developers typically want a lighter, simpler development interface using the principles of REST and the OData standard – but this requires an authentication wrapper to talk to the Microsoft Dynamics CRM SOAP API. This webinar will help you understand the best techniques to create a supported REST/OData experience for Windows 8 developers.
This event takes place on Tuesday, April 30 at 10:00AM PT.
Register to attend via the Partner Learning Center.
Great news as some really attractive offers for existing Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, and Microsoft Dynamics SL customers have now been extended to expired on June 21, 2013.
For complete information, please review the original blog post found here.
At the start of the New Year, I blogged about a new training offering designed for consultants that are responsible for the implementation, support, and configuration of Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Web Client.
I’m happy to announce new dates in Fargo have been added to the schedule!
Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Web Client Workshop for the Functional Consultant Course Information
Length: 2 days (16 hours) Price: $799* Location: Fargo, ND | April 29-30, 2013
Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Web Client Workshop for Implementation Consultants Course Information
Length: 3 days (24 hours) Price: $1299* Location: Fargo, ND | May 1-3, 2013
*For a limited time only, we are accepting Partner Advisory Hours (PAH) as additional payment option for the Web Client workshops in addition to standard payment options. Duration will last until allocated seats under this offer are fulfilled. First come-first served basis.
Please visit PartnerSource for complete course information and full details on payment/registration options.
We hope you enjoyed the great Convergence 2013 event last week, and look forward to hosting you in Atlanta, GA for Convergence 2014, March 4-7!!
Just in case you missed the major announcements made by the Microsoft Dynamics AX and Microsoft Dynamics CRM product management teams, I’ve provide the hyperlinks to their blog posts from last week.
· Introducing new native mobile device experiences for Microsoft Dynamics AX
· Microsoft Dynamics CRM Accelerates Social Capabilities
· Announcing MarketingPilot 15 Designed for the New Marketer
Additional coverage is located on the Microsoft Dynamics homepage within the Microsoft News Center.