Enable AX in a Cloud
There is something new, yet familiar in the sky: AX.NET Fully Enables Microsoft Dynamics
AX in the Cloud!
Cloud computing is upon us and the world of software is changing rapidly. Even Microsoft
itself has over the past years transformed itself gradually from a pure license
and “on premise/on pc� based business and software delivery model. A few years ago
the Microsoft strategy was dubbed “Software+Services�, implying a hybrid model between
the soon-to-be antiquated “on premises/installed on pc� tradition coupled with services.
This strategy was mostly perceived as “clever marketing� versus a real shift in
technology in the Microsoft products.
However, in March of 2010 Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft Corporation, announced
a more aggressive Microsoft Cloud computing strategy named “We’re all in�.
With this announcement Microsoft is basically telling the world that Microsoft now
is very strategically focusing on moving innovation in the direction of Cloud computing.
Clearly, it will take a very long time for Microsoft to deliver and especially in
the business application area in which, Cloud enablement not yet is in the horizon.
Signs of the direction Microsoft is going in are very clear though: Microsoft Office
as a “Live� service, various XBOX and Windows Mobile services will surface, and
peripheral services as well to the business applications, such as a Cloud based
payroll service for instance. Even so, the core Microsoft business is still Windows
and its server products and those will not move to Cloud applications (anytime soon,
if ever). In parallel, Microsoft still believes that ERP by large should be an on
premise or partner hosted model in the traditional client/server sense.
This point of view is something ProISV challenges. We agree that there will continue
to be demand for on premise ERP for some time, but we disagree about the timeline.
We believe specifically that Microsoft Dynamics AX delivered in the Cloud will very
rapidly be in high demand! Microsoft competition is quickly moving in this direction
as well. Microsoft just does not have the technological answer to challenge the
competition, therefore is stuck with its traditional client-server on premise /
partner hosted business model.
ProISV has therefore already made a giant leap in innovation by developing the technology
necessary to enable Microsoft Dynamics AX to run in the Cloud! Imagine the potential
of running Microsoft Dynamics AX in the Cloud, such as the Microsoft Azure platform.
Our technology is not limited to Azure, but we certainly believe Azure is the natural
choice for Microsoft partners and customers. You can read more about Azure here.
AX.NET enables you to run your AX infrastructure in the Cloud, including SQL and
AX itself. This means you are now able to access AX through a web browser. The product
AX.NET Server is fully compatible with all the AX.NET features, meaning you can
now develop any application in Visual Studio .NET, use AX business logic in your
.NET application and then run your application in the Cloud, thereby delivering
your software without having to install anything on the client side.
The key advantages on a more technical basis are:
- Standard web service interface to access all Microsoft Dynamics AX logic
- Flexible connectivity
- Communicate with AX over firewall
- Deploy AX through Azure
- High availability through advanced multiprocessing
- Scalable with several AOS
- Multiple AX.NET Servers working together as one Cloud network
- Possible to communicate with Microsoft Dynamics AX through AX.NET Server from any
technology which supports web services, such as like VBA in Microsoft Office, JAVA,
PHP, AJAX (can access AX using AJAX from JavaScript running client side in a browser).
- Increased security by specifying special security permissions for Microsoft Dynamics
AX logic, when accessed through AX.NET Server. AX.NET Server uses the security scope
defined by the AX Security System, but can further be narrowed for instance to online
allow read-only access to specific user groups through AX.NET Server.
- Secure communication over SSL / HTTPS
- And much more!
The clear benefits from an economical view point will be (depending on each scenario,
customer by customer) massive savings in servers and infrastructure, as well as
the cost of rolling out AX, maintaining AX, etc. For AX ISV’s and especially AX
ISV’s who are delivering standardized solutions to industries, this technology will
provide substantial economical advantages in both immediate and long term; and for the users
it will provide a much better overall experience.
AX.NET simply takes Microsoft
Dynamics AX directly into the era of Cloud computing. The wait is over.
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