An interesting week! Microsoft released pretty good earnings driven by Commercial Cloud, the new Common Data Model and Azure Security hitting general availability. Plus, some interesting vertical-specific cases in fintech, food & bev (and government), and in

Among other stories we’ll discuss:

• more WPC download
• the Common Data Model
• Microsoft’s not-bad earnings Q4 2016 (this year’s big hit: Windows 10 revenue deferrals)
• Azure Security Center generally available, promises real-time threat response
• CRM for banking and financial service
• How Alfa People scored a 10-year deal with the New Hampshire Liquor Commission to run Dynamics AX 2013 R3 and POS
• Retail Realm’s and Retail Hero’s alternative to the sunsetting Microsoft Dynamics RMS. It’s not a Dynamics product, but it fills a void and was crafted by two long-time Microsoft partners.

With Microsoft’s World Partner Congress (WPC) just wrapping up, we look at what Dynamics partners are facing in the year ahead, what adjustments they need to make (and Microsoft will make) for Dynamics 365, Cloud and the new AppSource.

Among other stories we’ll discuss:

• Satya Nadella’s Day One keynote, in which he called for the move away from software suites toward role-based services. How does Dynamics 365 figure in? Do NAV, GP and SL figure in at all?
• Licensing details are vague, but Microsoft makes clear where Dynamics CRM, Dynamics AX and Project Madeira fit together.
• The common data model of Dynamics 365 – is this a natural evolution?
• Microsoft AppSource, the barriers to entry, the value prop to ISVs.
• Microsoft guides partners on cloud direction. Are CSPs truly making 2x revenue growth? And what new initiatives will support Microsoft partners in the tumultuous year ahead?

This lively discussion with Andrew King, Managing Director of WebSan Solutions begins with successful versus unsuccessful implementations. Then we steer into Microsoft product direction, both good and bad.

Among the provocative topics we cover:

• Why the out-of-the-box promise of cloud is a mythical unicorn.

• How much of systems that talk is owed to Microsoft ad how much is partnered services?

• How data cleanup, not just integration, is key to successful implementations.
• Office 365: Just a “side order of fries” for resellers, or the key to winnig long-term customers?
• Partners and Madeira (or “Baby NAV”): “You want me to sell what, for how much?”
• Microsoft knows how to sell software, but is it out of touch with how partners run profitable businesses?
• Dynamics 365: Competitive with CSP solutions? Configurable or fixed-functions at a fixed price?