If you are evaluating new ERP/accounting software and Microsoft Dynamics GP makes your short list, you still have another decision to make. Which edition of Microsoft Dynamics GP (formerly Great Plains) do you need? There is the Business Essentials (BE) edition and the Advanced Management (AM) edition.
The cost of Microsoft Dynamics GP Business Essentials edition is a lower price per user that the cost of the Microsoft Dynamics GP Advanced Management edition. Keep in mind this also means the annual maintenance fees will also be lower if you buy Business Essentials. Honestly, 90% of CAL Business Solutions clients start with the Business Essentials edition because you will receive a full investment credit for money spent if you decide to move to the Advanced Management version in the future.
While we always try to recommend ways for our clients to save money sometimes some very valid reasons why a client needs to spend more and purchase the Advanced Management edition. Sometimes there is specific, advanced functionality that you can only get with AM.
I encourage you to read our article on the ERP Software Blog, Compare Microsoft Dynamics GP Business Essentials versus Advanced Management: When Is The Advanced Management Edition Worth the Higher Price? This article is intended to help you compare the two editions by describing the modules that are only available in the Advanced Management edition. If you need these features, and you can’t add the missing functionality with an ISV module, then you need to purchase Microsoft Dynamics GP Advanced Management edition.
Are you interested in getting a cost estimate of Microsoft Dynamics GP Business Essentials? The easiest way is to request a free automated Microsoft Dynamics GP Quick Quote – including software licenses, maintenance fees and implementation. Plus, deployment options and costs.
If you are looking for an honest Microsoft Dynamics GP partner who will give you good advice about buying Microsoft Dynamics GP Business Essentials vs Advanced Management, contact CAL Business Solutions.
By CAL Business Solutions, Connecticut Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner
How to Compare Microsoft Dynamics GP Business Essentials vs Advancement Management Editions
New Microsoft Survey Reveals Top Cloud-Friendly Cities
The cloud is truly transforming technology industries and paving the way for new innovations, growth, and employment opportunities. But not all U.S. cities are equal in their acceptance of cloud technologies. A recent study by Microsoft (published at Microsoft Survey Highlights Cloud Movement Across the US) peered into the minds of 2,000 IT decision makers across the country and highlighted ten of the top cloud-friendly cities.
Boston, New York, Dallas, San Francisco, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Los Angeles/Orange County, Chicago, and Detroit excel in enterprise and small to midsized business cloud services and perceptions of cloud technology. The survey examined how businesses approach cloud computing, from their choice of cloud vendors for migration to new lines of business based on cloud platforms.
The survey found that as many as two thirds of businesses look to outside vendors to help them deploy cloud solutions, and 21 percent are looking to hire new staff with cloud experience. Many IT consultants have their calendars filled with customers who need help learning about cloud computing and migrating their business technology to the cloud.
For Microsoft, the attitudes about the cloud suggest the company is on the right track with its release of Office 365 and the Windows Azure platform, which is a complete cloud business solution in a virtual box. Furthermore, as ERP customers begin to consider cloud options, many are turning to Microsoft partners for hosted solutions, such as those offered for Microsoft Dynamics GP, SL, NAV and AX. You can find a list of Microsoft partners that offer hosting services on the ERP Software Blog Dynamics ERP Hosting Provider Directory.
Being able to seamlessly integrate cloud solutions with existing on-premise technology is also a valid concern, and Microsoft has taken the initiative to make sure businesses can adapt and thrive in and out of the cloud.
To learn more about the options available for ERP Software in the Cloud download a new white paper 35 Questions Every CFO Needs to Ask about Cloud ERP Software. The 35 jargon-free questions cover topics the CFO needs to understand to make an informed decision including: Cloud Definitions, Potential Benefits of Cloud ERP, Common Concerns of Cloud ERP, Compliance Considerations for Cloud ERP, and Licensing Questions for Cloud ERP. High level answers to each question provide the foundation for CFO cloud knowledge. Download the full white paper today at: www.erpsoftwareblog.com/cloud-erp.
You can also request a free Microsoft Dynamics ERP software quote – including user licenses, annual maintenance, estimated implementation and deployment options and costs.
By ERP Software Blog Editors, Find a Local Microsoft Dynamics ERP Partner
Quick Fix: Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 for Microsoft Office Outlook doesn’t load
When you subscribe to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online 2011 or Partner-Hosted Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, we recommend that you install the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 for Microsoft Office Outlook add-in. The add-in really helps you get comfortable by presenting CRM Online 2011 inside the Outlook interface, a familiar environment you probably use every day.
The add-in automatically tracks all of your communications that are sent through Microsoft Exchange Server and any contacts you have created, and stores them inside of the CRM Online database. This frees up a huge amount of time for you by removing the need for manual data entry of e-mails and contacts into CRM Online 2011.
While the add-in is processing these automatic functions, it places the items in a temporary location referred to as “the cache” before it synchronizes them with CRM Online 2011.
We all know that computers don’t always work as expected, and the cache is no exception. Sometimes, it can get overloaded or corrupted, and as a result the CRM Online 2011 plug-in will be disabled automatically to prevent further corruption or any database discrepancies. Users generally notice this automatic disabling the next time they launch Outlook, because the Track in CRM button has vanished, and they are no longer able to browse into CRM Online 2011 from within their familiar Microsoft Office Outlook interface.
So how can we fix the cache and get the plug-in working again? Don’t worry; we’ll walk you through a really quick fix that will get your cache reset and the plug-in loading again properly! If you are looking for a more immediate option, we do offer Microsoft Dynamics CRM Emergency Support.
From Microsoft Windows, open the Start menu, select All Programs, select Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, and click on Diagnostics (see below).
A Microsoft Dynamics CRM Diagnostics window opens (see below). Click on the Advanced Troubleshooting tab, click on Delete under Delete Temporary Microsoft Dynamics CRM Client Files, and then click on Enable under Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook Add-in. 
Once you have deleted the temporary files and enabled the add-in, click on Save (above), and the diagnostics window will close automatically. Next time you launch Outlook, the CRM Online 2011 for Outlook add-in will be restored to full functionality. Now wasn’t that easy?
You can find more quick and easy tips at xRM.com’s Microsoft Dynamics CRM Blog. Want to learn more about how Microsoft CRM Online can positively affect your business? Check out our CRM Success Portal for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online!
Quick tip: Using InPrivate browsing to sign in with more than one Windows Live ID simultaneously
Here’s a little background: Windows Live ID is a single-sign-on (SSO) service, which means that once you sign in to any of the services or web applications (such as Hotmail) that recognize your ID, you can access any of the other services that recognize your ID without needing to sign in again, until you sign out or get signed out. CRM Online 2011 uses Windows Live ID authentication. Therefore, when you are signed into a CRM Online 2011 organization, opening a new browser window and navigating to the same CRM Online 2011 organization or to another CRM Online 2011 organization where that same Windows Live ID is recognized will leverage your already authorized and cached credentials. It loads your Windows Live ID automatically and you are not required to sign in again. You can visit two CRM Online organizations at the same time using the same Windows Live ID.
Now, to paraphrase Shakespeare, here’s the rub: What if you wanted to open a window that wasn’t automatically signed in, and was treated separately, as if you were a different person on the same computer? You can do that by using Internet Explorer’s InPrivate Browsing mode. Just follow the steps below.
From your current Internet Explorer window, open the Tools menu, and click InPrivate Browsing.
A new Internet Explorer browser window will open using InPrivate Browsing mode.
xRM.com is a Microsoft Online Cloud Services reseller that also provides xRM.com Partner Hosted Dedicated Environments working out of the xRM.com Tier-IV Data Center. Read about some of our CRM Online Value Added Strategic Partners or our xRM Case Studies to decide if xRM.com is the right fit for your company.
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