Industry Builder Program Grows

Four new partners have joined the Industry Builder initiative, a program that certifies third-party vertical solutions for the Dynamics AX enterprise resource planning (ERP) application. The new partners and their solutions focus on the automotive, consumer goods, and oil and gas industries and complement the five Industry Builder partners Microsoft enlisted in 2005. However, the program so far includes only solutions for AX, although Microsoft plans to eventually include solutions for other Dynamics products, such as GP.

Solutions Are Microsoft Certified

Microsoft’s ERP products (AX, GP, NAV, and SL) offer core business management functionality that several thousand Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) partners use as a foundation for creating industry-specific solutions. This approach allows Microsoft to focus on broadly applicable “platform” features and creates a niche for partners. However, this multivendor approach raises concerns for some (often large) customers. For example, third-party customizations may not be held to the same quality standards as Microsoft products and the lack of a single point of accountability could delay resolution of technical problems.