Microsoft Great Plains Partner Selection: Overview

Microsoft Great Plains, Navision, Solomon and Axapta are Microsoft Business Solutions ERP applications, serving to the whole spectrum of vertical and horizontal markets. Assuming that you already have one of these systems installed and implemented we would like to give you - IT director, Database Administrator, Programmer, Software Developer, Controller your options in supporting/upgrading Microsoft Great Plains for your company

It is always good idea to install everything on your own - however Great Plains requires combination of computer networking, some programming, good accounting/distribution/logistics/reporting background - so it is not a surprise that Microsoft Business Solutions requires their customers to have specially assigner Microsoft Great Plains Partner/VAR/Reseller to serve the account.

First Scenario. Due to the recession your former MBS partner went out of business, leaving you without support and you lapsed in payment annual enhancement fee. This is very common scenario - in fact Microsoft Business Solutions introduced direct quoting to the companies like yours - just to insure that you have an option to pay this required maintenance fee. In this situation - you can not get new version/migration tool, etc. until you get your company reinstated in MBS enhancement program. What you need to do is these:

1. Find reasonably inexpensive MBS partner and switch to it as your MBS VAR - it is very easy to change your VAR - you compose the letter stating that you would like to switch to company ABC as your MBS VAR, sign it and fax to your new VAR.

2. MBS Promotions ? Microsoft has promotion programs for orphans like your company to be re-enrolled into annual enhancement program, usually with small additional charge, for example in October 2004 you could get your reinstatement for 20% of the software list price (normal price is 16%)

Second Scenario. You need to migrate from Pervasive SQL/ctree to Microsoft SQL Server/MSDE. It is known fact that Microsoft decided to breach contract with Pervasive Software and stop supporting Microsoft Great Plains 7.5 and earlier versions on Pervasive SQL 2000. You need to migrate to MS SQL Server ASAP - or you will be out of support

1. As in the first scenario - select your MBS partner or ask you old partner to give you the quote on Migration tool (k$1.5-k$2)

2. Migrate on your own - or send your data to migration specialist - your partner may provide these services - normal price is 8 hours of consulting fee

Third Scenario. You have bunch of Great Plains Dexterity, VBA, SQL customizations and need upgrade and your former GP reseller is not providing customization upgrade services (due to the fact that all developers were laid off several years ago)

1. Locate customization partner. Usually you have to find small nation-wide VAR, who serves you via remote support. Switch to this partner

2. Ask for customization analysis - most of the old customization pieces should be migrated to new technologies, like Dexterity to SQL and Crystal Reports, web publishing, eConnect, etc. Don't pay for upgrade "as is" - you will lock yourself with the problems

Also couple of hints about how do you switch the partner. It is actually more easy than you may think - you just send to your new proposed partner the letter in free format saying that you would like to switch to you as my Microsoft Business Solutions partner - and this is it.

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies ? USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, based in Chicago, Arizona, Georgia, California, Texas, New York, Florida and having locations in multiple states and internationally ( www.albaspectrum.com ), he is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer. Andrew can be reached: 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918, akarasev@albaspectrum.com

---

Keeping Track

One of the things we can be as certain of... Read More

Professional Software Icons For Your Standalone Application

User interfaces and accessibility are some of the most important... Read More

Most Common Ways to Accumulate Spyware (where It is Downloaded to Your PC)

It is possible that if one avoided all sources of... Read More

Great Plains Dynamics on Pervasive/Ctree support ? overview for consultant

All of us know that Microsoft bought former Great Plains... Read More

CRM and Customer Life Cycle

Customer Relationship Management or CRM is a combination of enterprise... Read More

Databases ? How We Love to Hate Them!

You've finally created databases that you can actually use to... Read More

Call Alert Notifications - Free Answering Machine Software for PCs

If you're online using a dialup Internet connection, you'll probably... Read More

Online PowerPoint Presentation ? Convert PowerPoint to Flash

Although we don't know whether Microsoft ever envisioned such a... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains in Construction & Building ? Implementation & Customization Highlights

Microsoft Great Plains could be tuned and setup to fit... Read More

How to Backup Windows XP Home Edition

Your computer cost you from hundreds to thousands of dollars,... Read More

Great Plains Custom Development: Dexterity, VBA, SQL, Crystal, eConnect ? Overview For Programmer

Microsoft Great Plains is main Microsoft Business Solutions accounting package... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains - Typical Problems And Fixes ? Overview For IT Administrators

How to delete the user? This is the first problem... Read More

Design a Web Album Using Adobe Photoshop- Part 2

So let's begin crunching down these 300 images using Adobe... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains Implementation ? Overview for IT Director/Controller

What is installation in the language of technology? Installation... Read More

The XP Firewall Isnt Enough

You might think you don't need a firewall... Read More

6 Easy Steps for a Smoother CD/DVD Order

It's all about turn times in the eMedia industry! The... Read More

Run Your Own Search Engine

Our hosted solution allow you to run your own search... Read More

Microsoft CRM Customization

Microsoft CRM customization techniques are very diversified and based on... Read More

Computer Based Language Development and Spell-checking

Language development computer: Computer-based method for aiding language development seems... Read More

Linux for Home Users

Hey Guys! Don't raise your eyebrows or fear by hearing... Read More

Cross-Platform Custom Software Development & Integration ? IT Strategy for Large Corporation

Microsoft Business Solutions products: Great Plains, MS CRM, Navision, Axapta,... Read More

About Microsoft Sysprep (System Preparation) Utility (Windows 2000)

The Microsoft system preparation utility for Windows 2000 is a... Read More

Great Plains Dexterity Programming ? Overview For Developer

Looks like Microsoft Great Plains becomes more and more popular,... Read More

Free Software for Newbies and Web Developers

Here is some free software tools to help you build... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains eCommerce ? Stored Procedures Approach

Since Version 8.0 Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains & Great... Read More

Spyware - The Internet Devil Of Our Times!

Spyware and Adware infest over 90 percent of computers in... Read More

Microsoft Retail Management System (RMS) SQL Customization ? Overview for Programmer

Microsoft Retail Management System serves retail single store as well... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains Accounting/ERP Implementation ? Finance Industry Customization Example

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is very generic accounting application... Read More

Microsoft CRM Data Conversion FAQ

Microsoft Business Solutions CRM data conversion deserves FAQ type of... Read More

Removing Incoming Email in MS Exchange, C# Example

The purpose of one of our projects was MS Exchange... Read More

Cisco Certification: Introduction To ISDN, Part V

The major reason I recommend getting your hands on real... Read More

The Truth about Colossus: Are You Just A Magnetic Image?

What is Colossus?Colossus is software licensed to about twenty-five insurance... Read More

Microsoft Small Business Manager eCommerce ? Overview

Microsoft Business Solutions Small Business Manager is scaled down Great... Read More