GP Login with Active Directory

GP 2010 will allow users to save their login information to reduce the time and effort around logging in to Dynamics GP. This doesn't solve the request for Active Directory integration that I hear from users. Vaidy is asking whether or not AD integration is really required. I say yes and here is why:

• A significant amount of Microsoft's literature and communication to the developer and SQL community says that Windows Authentication is both more secure and preferred.
  
• IT professionals struggle with a mixed message. General MS communication says to prefer windows authentication for SQL, but for GP it has to be setup as mixed mode. It makes no sense to make it harder to sell and implement GP by not fixing this roadblock.
  
• IT professionals and DBA's also struggle with differences in many of the Dynamics products because these products were purchased by MS, not developed in house. This means that they don't necessarily behave like other MS products. Including AD integration continues to send the message that all of the Dynamics products are moving closing to being true MS applications.

I love what FastPath has done with their Configurator AD product to sync GP passwords with AD and provide true single sign on but I would love to see MS tackle this as part of Dynamics GP.