Axapta Exits Wave One

Along with improvements to core business management features, the latest version of Dynamics AX (released in June 2006), Microsoft’s top-of-the-line business management application, ships a Windows SharePoint Services-based portal and an interface modeled on Outlook, supports SQL Server Reporting Services, and offers improved performance. Together, these advances will make AX 4.0 more usable and help the product better compete with SAP. AX 4.0 also lets developers extend AX with .NET languages and access AX business documents through Web services, which could ease development of custom AX applications. However, most AX developers will still need familiarity with AX’s proprietary development tools.

Where Dynamics AX Fits

Dynamics AX (formerly known as Axapta) is Microsoft’s highest-end business management product and is aimed at multinational companies (or divisions of large companies) with 100 to 5,000 employees and complex manufacturing or distribution needs. The product is composed of distinct applications-called modules-for specific business functions, such as manufacturing or accounting, and also includes developer tools for building custom modules, creating custom solutions, or integrating other business applications.