In this week's Microsoft Dynamics Partner merger and acquisition news:

• Technology Management Concepts acquires Dynamic Methods
• Stoneridge Software acquires Microsoft Dynamics partner DFC Consultants
• Bechtle acquires Swiss Acommit AG
• Wicresoft strengthens Microsoft cloud offering with DeltaBahn acquisition

Technology Management Concepts acquires Dynamic Methods

Technology Management Concepts (TMC), a Microsoft Gold Certified partner dedicated to Microsoft Dynamics 365, GP, NAV, SL & CRM, providing consulting serv...

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In this week's Microsoft Dynamics Partner merger and acquisition news:

• Technology Management Concepts acquires Dynamic Methods
• Stoneridge Software acquires Microsoft Dynamics partner DFC Consultants
• Bechtle acquires Swiss Acommit AG
• Wicresoft strengthens Microsoft cloud offering with DeltaBahn acquisition

Technology Management Concepts acquires Dynamic Methods

Technology Management Concepts (TMC), a Microsoft Gold Certified partner dedicated to Microsoft Dynamics 365, GP, NAV, SL & CRM, providing consulting serv...

read more

We are in an era dominated by mobile devices, cloud computing, smart analytics and the Internet of Things (basically, everything is automated) and, because of this, digitizing processes and procedures is becoming increasingly important. We’re guessing that, while you’re reading this, you’re also checking your emails on your cell phone, managing work projects from your tablet and have some sort of news site up in a separate tab on your laptop or desktop. It’s also possible that one of those devices is playing Netflix or displaying your Facebook feed (and you've just sent a Snapchat), but we won’t tell. Society has gone digital, and the rise of digital technology has caused a dramatic shift in how businesses have and need to adopt new and emerging technologies in order to meet the changing needs of today’s consumers and demonstrate the value of the services they offer.

This is all part of the rapidly growing trend of digital disruption that we've been seeing all over social media. Digital disruption provides an opportunity for businesses to look at how they are using technology, and how they can use it differently to enhance their business practices. What are the benefits for you as an executive, manager or associate looking to streamline in 2018 and beyond? Turn off the Netflix and read on!

Creating and demonstrating value: In cases such as digital disruption, it pays to jump on the bandwagon and not ignore the transformation that is taking place in their industry. In fact, companies that are committed to old business models are more often being pushed out of business by younger, more agile and more tech-savvy companies. Companies that implement new, digital technology often see a higher return on investment than companies that continue to invest in their old, legacy systems that are no longer conducive to the changing technological landscape and the evolving needs of today’s consumers who are turning to the latest and greatest, like Amazon.

Reduced costs in the long-run: While the upfront cost of new technology may seem high, the cost benefits often outweigh the initial price tag. Additionally, a company that is continuing to advance also can take the initiative to keep costs lower for consumers, as strategically implemented technology allows companies to reduce operational costs and manage business processes and procedures more efficiently.

Better utilize data and information: Finally, the adoption of new digital technologies allows companies to do more with the information that wasn’t being utilized with legacy systems. Whether it’s structured or unstructured data, automated systems, such as a document management solution, helps companies take advantage with the data streaming into their organization to make more data-driven business decisions.

Whether your document management processes and procedures have changed dramatically or only slightly from the manual ways of the past, digital disruption offers an opportunity for companies to look at the ways that they manage this information differently. How is your company being disruptive and making a dramatic difference in the ways that it manages data and meets the needs of consumers?

The implementation of a new CRM solution such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 may represent a substantial investment for any organization, not just financially, but in time. However, your users need to be using the new system to leverage all its benefits and features for your organization to see any return on its investment. To ensure that you get your users on-board with this new solution, several steps can be taken even prior to the implementation process to ensure a high user adoption rate of the solution and in the long run, simplified processes and increased productivity.

This three-part series offers tips to drive user adoption in your organization before, after and throughout the entire implementation process. Here are 5 tips to help you choose the CRM solution that will best meet the needs of your organization and end-users.

1. Before getting started, establish benchmarks, draft user surveys, and identify KPIs that you wish to improve. Having specific criteria that can be measured against your later performance makes it easier to gauge whether the implementation is a success. User satisfaction, operating costs, productivity, collaboration, employee engagement, etc. can all be measured.
2. Hire a consultant to help with change management. While this does represent an additional investment that might be tempting to skip, this will help manage costs in the long run by avoiding budget and timeline overruns. A change management expert can also help you put in place the proper structure to ensure that your end-users receive the training necessary.
3. Work with your implementation partner to ensure that the new solution follows your existing processes rather than the other way around. This will facilitate user training and optimize productivity and efficiency since the new solution will support the way your staff currently works. Choose a solution that will grow with your business and support its processes even in 5, 10 or 15 years.
4. Ensure that your users understand why your organization is implementing a new CRM solution. End-users may not be too keen on having their daily routine disrupted and learning to navigate and use a new system, so it’s important that they understand what the objectives are and how it will positively affect their individual success as well as the organization’s.
5. Involve your resources in the choice of the solution. Demonstrations and presentations can go a long way to ensure that your resources feel involved in the process from the very beginning. They will be more likely to welcome change if they feel that their input has been taken into consideration.

These tips will help you pave the way for a smooth transition to the new solution, which should help support your existing processes, not the other way around. By understanding your vision and how the new system will help them in the long run, your end-users will be more open-minded to the upcoming changes and more willing to make use of the new solution. For more information, read our article to know What to Think about before Going Live with your Microsoft Dynamics CRM implementation.

By JOVACO Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and CRM specialist in Quebec

The post 5 Tips to Ensure a Higher User Adoption Rate when implementing your New Microsoft Dynamics 365 Solution – Before the Implementation appeared first on CRM Software Blog | Dynamics 365.

Having maximum utilization of your rental fleet means making sure your equipment is at the right depot at the right time. This is how it becomes easier to send it out for a job. Internationally operating equipment rental companies have always invested a lot in their fleet to execute and maintain their current business.

When business is going well, it makes it easier to expand your fleet while monitoring your physical and financial rental utilization rates across the regions where your company operates.

Modern ERP solutions provide a wide range of new tools for traditional equipment rental companies. Allowing them to share their fleets easily across the globe. In addition it unlocks the full potential of having the right equipment in the right place.

But on top of that, there is a far more valuable approach for equipment rental companies: changing their current way of working. When you can share your fleet across the globe, you provide full flexibility for your rental departments to automatically locate the right equipment for the job. You can make automatic reservations. At the same time you ensure that the logistic process is prepared.

Three options to benefit from management by exception

With DynaRent, we provide full flexibility with your rental fleet to allow for management by exception

• Provide full fleet management overviews for your rental team by sharing your rental fleet across regions
• Create automatic equipment reservations during the rental process. This way you make sure your rental equipment is allocated accordingly
• Use graphical fleet overviews per depot/region/country to facilitate equipment transportation. This helps to monitor your fleet across the globe and make decisions anytime

Image 1: Graphical rental fleet availability overviews for serialized and bulk equipment

DynaRent works like an original piece of Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations. As a result, you can have integrated equipment rental processes across all areas of your business. Curious about our DynaRent Solution Suite? We’re more than happy to provide you with a tailored demonstration. Please contact us at info@highsoftware.com to discuss, or visit www.highsoftware.com and see what we’re up to!

In this week's Microsoft Dynamics Partner News Roundup:

• BDO selects Unit4 PSA Suite with Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM to support digital transformation
• Prodware Group: Strategic signatures in Belgium and Luxembourg
• Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund

BDO selects Unit4 PSA Suite with Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM to support digital transformation

Unit4, a provider of enterprise systems for professional services organizations, has announced that BDO Netherlands has selected Unit4 Professional Services Automation (PSA) Suite with Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM to meet the demands of its growing business.

BDO Netherlands, a unit of BDO, an acc...

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At PowerObjects, we like to ring in the holidays by donating $5 to charity on behalf of everyone who fills out our holiday survey. We sent the survey out mid-December and the results are in with over 500 surveys completed, which means roughly $2,500 will be donated.

The concept was simple, we asked people to fill out the one-minute online survey which we created in our PowerPack add-on, PowerSurveyPlus, and then sent to our contacts using our PowerMailChimp add-on, and for every survey filled we’d donate $5 to a non-profit! Not bad for one minute of your time.

Last year’s holiday survey resulted in a nice donation going to People Serving People. People Serving People is the largest and most comprehensive, family-focused homeless shelter in Minnesota, helping homeless and at-risk children and their families manage crisis situations and build a strong foundation for their long-term success. People Serving People provides emergency shelter to meet families’ basic needs and support services—early childhood education, K-12 enrichment, employment resources, parent engagement—that are focused on moving families toward self-sufficiency and breaking the cycle of poverty for families experiencing homelessness.
You can learn more at www.peopleservingpeople.org

This year, our charity of focus was Practical Action. Practical Action believes that technology is a key to ending poverty. Last year, they worked with over 2.8 million people globally who are living in poverty. With cutting edge science and innovation benefiting billions of people, there are still a billion more who are left behind. Practical Action’s vision is to allow people to have access to the technologies that enable them to meet their basic needs and reach their potential. Together, we can make a difference.
You can learn more at www.practicalaction.org

Check out the questions we asked in our holiday survey:

Every year we find that this is a great way to use our passion for technology to give back to a worthy cause.

Happy Dynamics 365’ing!

Jeff Mitchell, Cloud Solution Architect, One Commercial Partner

Citrix builds on their long-standing partnership with Microsoft to offer multiple Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) deployment options for Citrix solutions on Microsoft Azure—including virtual apps, desktops, data and networking. Microsoft Cloud Solution Architect Jeff Mitchell shares how you can help customers provision and deliver workloads on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, reducing overall IT costs and increasing efficiency.

Join the Applications and Infrastructure Community call on Friday, January 19^th for an overview of Citrix Cloud on Azure.

Citrix Cloud

Citrix Cloud was introduced in August of 2015 amid much fanfare, as the titan of industry reassured us of their focus on delivering value to customers by decreasing management tasks and update cycles involved with the control layer of a Citrix deployment. Often, we speak about cloud being a model that delivers resiliency, scalability, and self-service, allowing organizations to deliver technology as a service to drive business value. Citrix Cloud is no different. By delivering Citrix Workspaces in the cloud model, IT organizations can deliver Citrix Workspaces to end users with the benefits that cloud offers.

Virtual applications and desktops are delivered using the Citrix Cloud XenApp and XenDesktop Service. Look under the hood of this service and you will see it is the same control layer you love with Studio, Director, StoreFront, and Delivery Controllers. In addition, SQL Server management and license management are built into the service and no longer require granular operations. So, you have a control plane that is maintained by Citrix, giving you the ability to centrally manage a user’s app and desktop resources running securely in your Azure subscription!

Citrix and Azure Design

Azure is a resource location on the Citrix Cloud Platform—a place to deploy XenApp and XenDesktop. We know that to have a successful Azure cloud adoption you need to consider five primary areas: Operations, Identity, Governance, Security, and Connectivity.

With Citrix, the same principles apply. Typical resource requirements in an Azure resource location will include Active Directory domains, NetScaler, Virtual Desktop Agents, and the Citrix Cloud Connector. Azure is fantastic as a resource location due to factors like proximity to end user, with 36 Azure regions around the world; as well as scale and security requirements, which are ideal on Azure thanks to deep integration with Azure Active Directory and Office 365.

The two most common scenarios I’ve seen are based on hybrid cloud models. First, adding Azure as a resource location to an existing on-premises deployment. In this scenario the customer has a current on-premises control layer and would like to add Azure as a resource location for new deployments or migration. The second is a greenfield deployment with Citrix Cloud delivering resource locations in Azure or multi-cloud. The customers in this scenario are often adopting Citrix for the first time or looking for multitenancy solution.

Deploying Citrix to Azure

I will cover a high-level process of getting started with Citrix on Azure. If I get some comments below or feedback on social posts, we can dive deeper.

First, set up your Citrix Cloud account, then add a resource location on the left-hand side of the screen. This will prompt you to download Cloud Connector. The Cloud Connector is used for securely managing resources in the resource location. This typically does not have to be large VM’s depending on the deployment size, but it is recommended to host two or more in the resource location for high availability (for details, see this Scalability White Paper).

It is recommended at this point to think about your Azure subscription as a resource location that needs the resource requirements discussed above. With Azure subscription resource requirements out of the way, you can now finish registrating the resource location in the Citrix Cloud portal. Confirm through Citrix Studio that the Cloud connector is listed under Zones. This ensures it is online and reporting in, and prevents deployment failures. Now right-click on the Azure Zone and create a new host connection. During this process a service principle is provisioned for you. If you run into issues you can configure this manually.

With the steps above complete, it’s time to set up a VDA. Create a VM Desktop OS or Server OS, depending on the catalog you want in Citrix Cloud. Install the Citrix VDA software on the VM and shut down the VM, making sure it is in a Stopped (deallocated) state. You can now run the Machine Catalog Setup.

Considerations and Tools

I normally start with a D2_V2 VDA setup. You can right-size through testing there. Based on Citrix testing, D2v2 is the optimal VM instance in terms of $/user/hour (assuming full utilization of the VDA).

• Task workers: 19 ($0.015 user/hr)
• Knowledge workers: 15 ($0.019 user/hr)

The XenApp/XenDesktop cost calculator for Azure, located here, will help you scope the appropriate VM size based on defining typical Citrix worker roles and bandwidth considerations.

Citrix is all in on Citrix Cloud. At Citrix Summit 2018, Craig Stilwell VP of worldwide Partner Sales Citrix announced refreshed and simplified large Cloud incentives available from Citrix.

Community call

If you'd like to hear more on this topic, register for the Applications and Infrastructure Community call on Friday, January 19^th. The call will provide insight into what is most important in the Microsoft partner ecosystem. We'll have a conversational dialogue between two technology professionals that is designed to appeal to technical, sales, and business professionals. One presenter will discuss Citrix on Azure from an infrastructure perspective, the other from an application development perspective.

 For those of you looking for additional deep dive, join myself and Citrix Enterprise Architect Kevin Nardone on Thursday, February 1^st to hear the top lessons learned when deploying Citrix on Azure. Webinar registration will open next Friday; however, you can visit bit.ly/CitrixTIPs now to subscribe to the series and receive notification once it goes live. At the conclusion of the event, Kevin and I will open the line for Q&A to answer your cloud questions, live!

Register for the Citrix TIPs webinar and Q&A

Applications and Infrastructure Technical Community

• Partner call schedule
• Yammer group
• Blog series
• Watch community calls on demand

We are providing the following information to help you effectively plan for a successful update to your existing Dynamics 365 organizations to Dynamics 365 (online), version 9.0.

What you need to know about the customer-driven update process.

• Flexible choices: You will be able to start scheduling your updates to Dynamics 365 (online), version 9.0 service, on any day, including weekends.    Please remember that opportunity to schedule an update is limited to available openings.  Update slots will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis.
• Scheduling an update: Starting January 15^th, 2018 you will be able to schedule updates to occur from February 20^th through August 20th.  This will give you up to six months to complete the update to the newest release of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 service.
• Flexible testing: Administrators will be able to schedule updates to sandbox instances prior to production instances. You can easily see the Sandbox and Production update schedules in a single view within the Dynamics 365 Administration Center.
• Keep your organization informed: Administrators can select recipients to receive notifications about updates in the Dynamics 365 Administration Center.  See Send email  notifications to multiple recipients to add email addresses of people you want to receive information about your scheduled updates. The recipient does not have to be an administrator to receive notifications and no additional licenses are required.

Get yourself ready for the update:

1. Get familiar. Stay up to date with What’s new for the complete list of capabilities and services.  Please refer to Read Me for more information about update requirements, known issues and possible workarounds.
2. Get prepared. Read about Manage updates.
3. Get engaged.  Your partner and Microsoft teams are here to help you be successful.  See What’s new for developers.

Note: Dynamics 365 Government and Dynamics 365 Germany are not included as part of this announcement. The availability of version 9.0 for these customers will be announced later.

--Paul Liew

For related info: Customer Driven Update for Dynamics 365, Version 9.0 is Coming