PwC is providing Microsoft Dynamics AX, Dynamics CRM and Microsoft BI Services

PwC consultants will provide advice and implementation assistance to clients who select Microsoft Dynamics together with other Microsoft technologies, including Microsoft Dynamics AX enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM) and business intelligence (BI) solutions as part of a business transformation

for more details
http://press.pwc.com/GLOBAL/News-releases/pwc-microsoft-in-strategic-alliance-/s/8879011b-6ebb-469f-b588-51d168119c3a#.UYo6ThHxXvc

GeoFlow, another big hit from Microsoft to BI and data visulization world

From time to time, Microsoft amaze us with is cool products and emphasis on its capabilities to elaborate the concept of Self-Servicing and be one of the largest BI player.

Microsoft has recently release a new Excel 2013 Add-ins called GeoFlow, which is a result of collaborations between several teams within Microsoft. GeoFlow lets you plot geographic and temporal data visually, analyze that data in 3D, and create interactive "tours" to share with others.

In basic terms, GeoFlow offers a way to turn Excel into a cool 3D cinematic visual experience.

You can download GeoFlow from here

Microsoft Dynamics AX new sales offer: Buy one Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2 Enterprise CAL and Get one Functional CAL free

Microsoft has recently announce a very interesting sales promotion for Dynamics AX 2012 R2, the offer is Buy one Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2 Enterprise CAL  and Get one Functional CAL free.

Ofcourse this new offer will have a positive impact on boosting Microsoft Dynamics AX license's sales volume which will have direct impact on the DAX professional, specially the market demand for DAX professional is high and is suffering from the few numbers of AX professional.

Some details about the offer:
- Effective March 1st, 2013 through June 20th, 2013
- Eligible customers: New and existing
- Eligible orders: Orders during the effective time with a minimum of 30 Enterprise User CALs or 30 Enterprise Device CALs using
- Product License Versions: Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 and later versions
- Coverage: World Wide


For more information:
- http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/offers/erp-ax.aspx
-  http://blogs.msdn.com/b/dynpartnercommunity/archive/2013/03/07/microsoft-dynamics-ax-bogo-boost-promotion.aspx?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter


I guess this year will be very interesting and so busy for AX professional, so lets wait and see :)

SQL Server 2012 Power View for Multidimensional Models CTP And Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

Microsoft will release SQL Server 2012 Power View for Multidimensional Models Customer Technology Preview (CTP) . This release will have the following features:

- The Power View reports will support reading from the normal Multidimensional Cubes this will have a great impact on Dynamics AX, because inspite the latest release of Dynamics AX 2012 R2 support the Power view reports but it cannot read from the shipped standard out of the box cubes (Nearly 16 Cube), and it will need a Tabular model which you will have to build from scratch.

(Role Center in AX 2012 R2 with embedded Power View)

But with the expected SQL Server 2012 Power View for Multidimensional Models CTP release you can access the standard and the customized cubes that Microsoft is providing out of the box.

- Another interesting features, if you don't know MDX query and you find it very complex and hard to learn, Microsoft now offers you the DAX which a lot of easier than the MDX (If you know Excel formulas  so you already know more than %60 of DAX)

For more information about SQL Server 2012 Power View for Multidimensional Models CTP

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/sqlrsteamblog/archive/2012/11/29/power-view-for-multidimensional-models-preview.aspx

For more information about DAX

http://blog.gobansaor.com/2011/07/14/dax-the-new-sql/

If you want to try Power View reports

https://businessintelligencedemoportal.com/sites/contosoenergy/SitePages/pvrsample.aspx


Thanks
Mahmoud Anass

Sorry Microsoft AX Consultants, you won't be able to have good sleeping for the next couple years !!!

The next major release of Microsoft Dynamics AX will include a new Windows 8 style UI which is expected to be released in August 2014, so If you didn't start AX 2012 learning and implementation you will suffer from the HUGE gap in the Application/Technical area, specially Microsoft will release additional 3 releases (Not major releases) which are AX 2012 R2 in December 2012 and AX 2012 R3 expected in 2013 first half, and AX 2012 R4 in 2013 second half, in addition to that Microsoft might release some Feature back !!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry AX people, for the couple next year you won't have good sleeping :D


Mahmoud Anass

Power of ERP + Simplicity of Excel = AX 2012

I was reading an article about a Survey result shows how the ERP users are more eager to use MS Excel more than ERP application, because most/all ERP software in many times are cumbersome and not easy to use, especially if they are old, complex, and have tons of function such as SAP and Oracle.

in the same context i was thinking about the huge effort that Microsoft is doing to Marrying AX 2012 (which contains structure data) and MS Excel (contains unstructured data and make this marriage simple and Easy) (Watch the link Inside Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 - Office )


This makes you feel that "Dynamics AX 2012 Powerful. Agile. Simple." slogan is not just slogan for marketing consumption, but it’s a true fact!!


That’s why I’m convinced: Power of ERP + Simplicity of Excel = AX 2012


Thanks
Mahmoud Anass

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 is Launched!

Today Microsoft Announces Dynamics AX 2012 General Availability

see the following links:

http://msdynamicsworld.com/story/microsoft-announces-dynamics-ax-2012-general-availability

https://community.dynamics.com/b/theedge/default.aspx

https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/newsevents/news/MSDYAX2012_AnnouceGeneralAvailability?r=14&l=1
(requires partnersource access)