Small- and medium-sized businesses (SMB) have unique requirements for their enterprise resource planning (ERP) needs. The industry-leading companies that most benefit SMBs are those that assist companies in aligning their ERP solution with their strategic goals.

Microsoft offers a complete suite of interconnected applications designed with SMBs in mind. While Microsoft Dynamics GP is clearly focused on the smaller enterprises, over the years, our work with Microsoft Dynamics NAV has shown it to be a more robust and cost effective enterprise solution for the middle market. Dynamics NAV is simple to use and very adaptable but it generally requires the assistance of an external service provider to ensure an optimally performing implementation. Maintain a relationship with an external service provider with NAV expertise is particularly important in light of the constant improvements that Microsoft makes to the platform.

Recently, Microsoft unveiled Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2, with significant upgrades in platform architecture, built-in integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM and online Payment Service. The release will be available in the fourth quarter of 2010, a timeframe that introduces the release more quickly than scheduled.

According to Microsoft, Dynamics NAV 2009 R2 will include the following enhancements:

• Microsoft Dynamics CRM integration. In its continued effort to ease the sale of CRM to its ERP base, Microsoft is providing built-in integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Benefits of customer relationship management (CRM) integration include eliminating redundant data entries, keeping information up to date in both ERP and CRM solutions, and providing salespeople with the ability to quickly access detailed business information about contracts, pricing and product availability. Customers can choose between integration to on-premises Microsoft Dynamics CRM or Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online with the option to migrate to either option over time.
• Online Payment Service for Microsoft Dynamics NAV. This enables customers to process payment transactions from the Microsoft Dynamics NAV interface across multiple channels, including e-commerce, point of sale and call center transactions. The Payment Service works with leading payment processing services and all major credit cards.
• Role-Tailored interface access for remote or roaming users. Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2 supports direct access from the Microsoft Dynamics RoleTailored experience over the Internet. This allows for remote or roaming users to take advantage of the richness and Microsoft Office integration of the RoleTailored interface and the many integration features connected to local resources, such as the operating system and Microsoft Office. This reduces the complexity and overhead compared with using other applications such as Citrix Systems and Terminal Services, especially for hosting partners offering cloud-based Microsoft Dynamics NAV deployments.
• Microsoft Application Virtualization support. The Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2 Role-Tailored interface can be deployed using Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) technology, which is relevant for both on-premise and hosted solutions. This provides a better experience for the end user as all integration with local applications is done on the desktop. It also cuts IT costs by centrally managing Microsoft Dynamics NAV client installations with automatic deployment to the desktop after an update.
• Windows 7 user experience improvements. Through Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2, jumplists can be used to open recently accessed customers and vendors for increased business productivity and efficiency, and the icon overlay functionality provides information on system events and status streamlined with the Windows 7 user experience.

We believe that these important advancements in the NAV solution will broaden the platform’s market presence by making it more attractive to middle market enterprises in vertical industries that might not have considered it before.