An update to Microsoft Business Portal (MBP) adds a human resources management application that employees can use to modify data such as time, attendance, and benefits records, and a module for tracking business performance metrics. MBP 1.2 is a first step in Microsoft’s plan to release incremental updates of the product that expose more of Great Plains’ and Solomon’s data and functions to a wide spectrum of office workers. However, the new human resources application in MBP 1.2 only works with Great Plains.

New Application, Module Added

MBP, initially released in Apr. 2003, is a Web-based portal that allows workers to access Great Plains and Solomon with a browser. This lets workers perform many day-to-day tasks, such as viewing sales data or entering expense reports, without the need for special client software and without involving back-office staff. Like other products from the Microsoft Business Solutions group, MBP is designed to be modular; Microsoft plans to release regular updates to MBP in the form of applications and modules that make Great Plains and Solomon more available to workers through the portal.

MBP 1.2 is the first such update of the product and offers an application called the Human Resources Management (HRM) Self Service Suite, which consists of five modules that let workers directly view and update a variety of employment-related data, such as pay–and-benefit and time-and-attendance information. The HRM suite could help companies streamline simple, everyday tasks: for example, an employee could use the portal to determine remaining vacation days, thus avoiding a query to the human resources department.

Additionally, MBP 1.2 offers a wizard-based tool called the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) module that helps nontechnical users create and track business performance metrics. Users step through a series of dialog boxes that allow them to select specific Great Plains or Solomon data (for example, total revenues and numbers of employees) and perform calculations based on those data to create metrics (revenue-per-employee, for instance). The module offers options for displaying these metrics in the portal and setting alerts based on them: for example, a business user could configure the revenue-per-employee metric to display a red indicator if it falls below a defined number.

MBP 1.2 continues Microsoft’s march into the mid-market portal and self-service applications arena, where the company sees untapped demand. While MBP is not positioned to compete with products from companies such as IBM, Oracle, PeopleSoft, and SAP in large business accounts, the update strengthens its position in the mid-market against these competitors.

Availability and Resources

Microsoft offers the base MBP for free to Great Plains and Solomon customers with a current enhancement plan, although Solomon Standard (a lower-priced, reduced-feature edition of Solomon) customers will have to pay US$1,500. MBP user licenses range from US$45 to US$65, depending on volume. For more information on MBP base features, pricing, and availability, see "Portal for Business Solutions Applications" on page 13 in the July 2003 Update.

Incremental functionality, such as the HRM suite and the KPI module, is priced per module. The HRM suite's five modules are priced starting at US$500 each or US$5,000 for the entire suite. The HRM suite is available for Great Plains only, and only in the United States.

The KPI module works with both Great Plains and Solomon and is available in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia. The module costs US$3,000.

More information about MBP, Great Plains, Solomon, and other Microsoft business products can be found at www.microsoft.com/BusinessSolutions/default.mspx.