14 March 2007

The *#$!*&^% Dynamics Roadmap

The roadmap was effectively non-existent beyond the next release. Want to know why I'm confused?
In the last six months, I have heard all the following. All of it from folks who have been dead on in the past, some of it from people who should know what's going on. In order from oldest to newest:
  • The GP/SL closed source with API's into the product model will probably win out with a united product containing both a light and a professional model.
  • AX will be the surviving product.
  • AX and NAV will be surviving products.
  • None of the products are going away for at least 3 versions and the respective languages will stay in use (Dex, MorphX, etc).
  • Steve B indicated that they are continuing all 4 products (but not for how long) and that they've gotten good at shared development of features.
Steve's comments dovetail with the last set of comments I've heard but that could just be this week's talking points.
Can you see why I'm confused?
So what do I observe? (I have an admitted and obvious GP bias)
  • AX gets a lot of love from the MS folks
  • NAV is getting significantly less attention than last year
  • SL is getting even less, if that's possible
  • The GP folks are just so prevalent that you can't ignore them.
So confused as ever, I went to the stats and added up all the sessions from Convergence 2007 for each ERP product based on either the track or the description (an industry track session with a focus on GP was a vote for GP for example). The  results?
GP 54 AX 45 NAV 30 SL 25
Yes I'm sure the results will be different at the European convergence and there's certainly nothing scientific about it.
You decide how that data connects with what I'm hearing.
Update: This post Convergence eweek story again leads back to AX and NAV as the surviving products. They also place emphasis on the Dynamics "platform" and Shareware.