Business software that works as medium sized companies work:
Microsoft comes with new role based business applications and a new infrastructure
Schiphol-Rijk, September 2005 - Chief Software Architect Bill Gates and CEO Steve Ballmer have presented the plans of Microsoft concerning the role based business software for medium sized companies. An important place here is reserved for Microsoft Dynamics, a new group of office applications; Centro, the codename for the new infrastructure for medium sized companies and the further evolution of Microsoft Office as business platform. This software covers the gap towards the way people are working at companies. With the slogan ‘Together, we build business', Microsoft will focus it developments towards role based software (person (=role) oriented instead of process oriented) in order to join up with the specific needs of medium-large companies.
Software that works as medium sized companies work
Microsoft's strategy for medium sized companies includes the following focus points;
- Microsoft Dynamics, a new brand for a wide set of business solutions, built on technology of the R&D project ‘Project Green'. Microsoft Dynamics contains a foundation for fifty roles which are based on specific functions at medium sized companies. This affordable software is closely integrated with, for example, Microsoft Office, SharePoint Portal Server and SQL Server Reporting Services. The new releases of the current Microsoft Business Solutions products will receive their specific Dynamics-names somewhere next year. For example: Microsoft Dynamics NAV (Navision).
- Microsoft Windows Server ‘Centro', a new server-solution for a specific role inside medium-large companies: the over-worked IT generalist. ‘Centro' is the new infrastructure solution for the medium sized segment where, with Windows Server ‘Longhorn', the next generation Exchange and security technologies have been combined. The new solution helps medium sized companies to save time and money and lets the IT-department do more with less. ‘Centro' will be available soon, once the next version of Windows Server, codename ‘longhorn', has been marketed.
- Microsoft Office System, grown towards an integrated system of applications, servers and services who deliver the foundation for Microsoft's role-based software approach. Microsoft office is going to be a elemental component for the organization application strategy. Especially, now that Office gets more and more functions like XML-integration, workflow services and integration of portals.
Software offers big chances to medium-large companies
Based on research from Keystone Strategy, led by Professor Marco Iansiti of the Harvard Business School, it becomes clear that technology offers big chances for increased turnover and growth. According to the research, companies with good IT facilities have higher growth rates in turnover than companies who do not have these facilities. The medium-large segment is an important factor in the worldwide economy. Especially in terms of technology investments and expected growth. According to research of AMI, the segment consists of 1,4 million companies worldwide with an annual growth of five percent. These companies make use of 68 million personal computers and 4,8 billion servers. In 2004, these companies spent $134 on software and services. The expectation is that this amount with grow till $185 billion by 2009, which indicates an annual growth of 7 percent.
Partners take care of local and industry specific expertise
With the recent introduction of the Solution Finder, Microsoft wants to server the medium sized segment better be connecting partners with companies. Through the Solution Finder, companies can search for solutions and partners of Microsoft. It is expected that over the next 12 months, more than 10.000 solutions will be posted on the website. The Solution Finder will be available by the autumn of this year at the Midsize Business Centre.