Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Launches Trust Center

Press release:

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Launches Trust Center

July 23, 2012

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online becomes first cloud CRM service to register with CSA STAR.

inShare7

REDMOND, Wash. — July 23, 2012 — Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq “MSFT”) today announced the availability of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Trust Center, a website that provides in-depth information about the privacy and security practices for the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Onlineservice. As data security and compliance are critical key considerations for organizations evaluating cloud services, the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Trust Center delivers to customers and potential customers high-level information about the privacy, transparency, independent verification and security features of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online.

This follows Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online’s registration with the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Security, Trust & Assurance Registry (STAR) program, making Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online the first cloud CRM service to provide this level of transparency. Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online joins Microsoft Office 365 and Windows Azure with their Trust Centers and CSA STAR registrations, underscoring Microsoft’s commitment to customers’ data security and privacy.

“Customers have to be confident that their business solutions are meeting their high-level security features and privacy needs. The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Trust Center ensures transparency in how we operate Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and handle these critical customer needs,” said Dennis Michalis, general manager, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Microsoft Corp. “Our customers need business solutions they can depend on, and the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Trust Center helps remove some of the anxiety they may have as they consider going to the cloud.”

Gartner Inc. in the research report “Look Before You Leap Into Cloud Computing,” published May 25, 2012, predicts that “by year-end 2016, more than 50 percent of Global 1000 companies will have stored customer-sensitive data in the public cloud.” And it adds, “many enterprises are reaping great benefits from cloud computing, primarily in added business agility and cost savings .… However, as with any significant new form of technology, many eager new customers rush to take advantage of it before all the risks and risk mitigations have been fully explored.”

“Enterprises should ensure that potential cloud service providers are trustworthy in areas of security, privacy and operational characteristics,” said Gene Phifer, vice president distinguished analyst, Gartner. “Enterprises should perform due diligence on potential cloud service providers through the use of emerging cloud standards, certifications, cloud services brokers, questionnaires and interviews, and by generally ‘doing your homework.’ Transparency in a cloud vendor is key and security should be as big of a concern with online deployments as with on-premises deployments.”

Designed to offer the performance, scalability, security and service levels organizations expect, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online has built-in capabilities for compliance with a wide range of regulations and privacy mandates, including EU Safe Harbor, EU Model Clauses, ISO 27001, SSAE 16 SOC 1 Type II, and HIPAA-HITECH.

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Trust Center is available at http://crm.dynamics.com/trust-center. Those who want to follow and engage with the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Twitter community can do so at @MSDynamicsCRM, using #MSDYNCRM and #CRM2011.

About Microsoft Dynamics

Microsoft Dynamics solutions empower your people to be more productive and your systems to last longer and scale as your business grows, while enabling you to derive the insights necessary to respond quickly in an ever-changing world of business.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Aston Martin Switches Gears With Microsoft Dynamics AX

Press release:

Aston Martin Switches Gears With Microsoft Dynamics AX

June 19, 2012

Business solutions from Microsoft help automaker refine its financial and accounting systems for performance as strong as its sports cars’.

inShare25

REDMOND, Wash. — June 19, 2012 — Global automaker Aston Martin has a reputation built on its precise design and production of hand-built, high-performance sports cars. With that diligence in mind, the company implemented Microsoft Dynamics AX with the assistance of Microsoft partner eBECS to address its pressing need to source a new accounting system.

Microsoft Dynamics AX was widely accepted due to its flexibility across all ledgers, including general, purchase, fixed assets and sales. The single integrated system made Aston Martin’s operations and information flow more easily and efficiently than before.

“It is no accident that we have chosen Microsoft Dynamics AX to sit at the very center of our business — it works well with all our systems, providing us with an accounting platform that allows us to manage all the business challenges and opportunities,” said Bradley Yorke-Biggs, strategy and IT director, Aston Martin. “We have been able to get financial data generated quickly, our cash-flow management processes and aged debtors reports are rapidly processed, and it gives us much greater efficiency in reporting.”

Aston Martin also recognized the essential need to understand the profile of its customers and clearly distinguish them from people making more generalized inquiries. The company has since decided to extend its use of the financials module and incorporate Microsoft Dynamics AX to replace a series of spreadsheets and unconnected databases, resulting in a comprehensive and fully integrated database of contacts that can be segmented into categories of interest and ownership to ensure that the nature of the relationship can be tailored precisely to the customer.

Aston Martin is currently looking at options for moving some of its systems to the cloud and is evaluating Microsoft Office 365 and the process of undertaking a more complete implementation of Microsoft Dynamics AX in 2013.

“With the full implementation of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, we will have a far more accurate and resilient product structure and engineering change management environment,” said Yorke-Biggs. “Currently this is a manual process, but this solution will bring with it an electronic change management capability, which is a big leap for us. It will improve the integrity of the system we use and affect changes to manufacturing faster but still respect our unique engineering and manufacturing concept.”

More information about how organizations are turning to Microsoft technology is available in theMicrosoft Customer Spotlight newsroom.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Microsoft Dynamics AX Gets COMFY With Ukraine Retailer

Press release:

Microsoft Dynamics AX Gets COMFY With Ukraine Retailer

May 03, 2012

COMFY increased productivity by 10 percent in the first two months of implementation.

inShare

REDMOND, Wash. — May 3, 2012 — COMFY, the leading Ukrainian electronics and home appliance retailer, recently deployed a custom warehouse management solution based on Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 to help manage warehouse logistics, resulting in streamlined processes, reduced costs, increased productivity and better space allocation.

COMFY opened its first retail store in December 2005 and by 2011 had expanded to 78 stores in 37 cities throughout Ukraine. This rapid growth made it difficult to maintain a streamlined logistics infrastructure to distribute goods three times a week across all stores.

To help manage warehouse logistics, COMFY needed to improve business processes and automate company operations for sites with different types of storage. In addition, the company needed to make more efficient use of warehouse space, to enable real-time decision-making and increase employee productivity.

COMFY turned to international consulting firm Columbus, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner with retail vertical experience, for a solution. Columbus designed a system to automate business processes and ensure an integrated IT environment with servers running Microsoft Dynamics AX Application Object Server (AOS), and Microsoft SQL Server as a database management system. Microsoft Dynamics AX provides the flexibility for customizing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to meet COMFY’s industry-specific needs.

“Microsoft Dynamics AX significantly enhances our ability to control processes at the central warehouse,” said Andrew Prystavka, director of warehouse logistics at COMFY. “It allows us to quickly identify bottlenecks and find system solutions to address them.”

Microsoft Dynamics AX gave COMFY a people-centered, end-to-end solution that helps employees work more efficiently and inspires them to do their jobs better. Many systems today focus solely on retrospective views and data, which can be frustrating and useless when faced with a unique logistical crisis. Microsoft Dynamics AX offers proactive and forward-looking systems that connect people to their work and provide real-time insights that enable better decision-making.

During the first two months after implementing the system using Microsoft Dynamics AX, COMFY increased productivity by 10 percent while reducing operational costs. “We expect to increase employee productivity at the distribution center by 1.5 times and reduce the cost of handling goods in all of our shops,” said Andrew Zavizion, logistics director at COMFY.

The custom warehouse management solution, based on Microsoft Dynamics AX, helps automate logistics management processes at the primary COMFY distribution center to improve key business processes, including tracking and delivery of inventory, systems monitoring, and data extraction and analysis, delivering the following benefits:

• Increased service levels, including pick accuracy and deliveries on time and in full

• Reduction in unit cost of inventory turnover

• Greater employee productivity and satisfaction

• Better use of warehouse space and equipment

• Quick and easy identification of storage bottlenecks

Microsoft Dynamics solutions empower your people to be more productive and your systems to last longer and scale as your business grows, while enabling you to derive the insights necessary to respond quickly in an ever-changing world of business.

Information on COMFY’s Microsoft Dynamics AX deployment, and additional Microsoft customer implementation news, is available on the Microsoft Customer Spotlight News Center.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

General Dynamics C4 Systems Debuts New ‘Buy Now’ Online Store for Rugged Computers and Accessories

Press release:

General Dynamics C4 Systems Debuts New ‘Buy Now’ Online Store for Rugged Computers and Accessories

SUNRISE, Fla. – General Dynamics C4 Systems has created an online store for customers to identify, compare and purchase a full range of accessories and ruggedized computers from General Dynamics. Powered by Group Mobile, the online store features a ‘chat’ capability that connects customers with trained specialists who can recommend the various products and accessories that match their system requirements.

Tom “TK” Kreidler, vice president of Worldwide Product Sales for General Dynamics C4 Systems, said, “From power cords to carrying cases to rugged computers, the new online store is a fast and cost-effective option for small procurements of computers and accessories. The site is also a convenient source to view the latest promotions and special offers from General Dynamics.”

The online store also offers the full range of accessories for the Itronix product line. Popular items, including vehicle-mounting trays, connector cables and chargers, are very competitively priced, with no shipping charges for orders over $99 delivered by ground transportation.

The store is exclusive to General Dynamics’ rugged computing products. Group Mobile manages the website, trains and provides the customer service personnel and is committed to complete customer satisfaction. Visit the new General Dynamics store at www.gd-itronix.com/buynow.

“We are very pleased to expand our relationship with the General Dynamics Itronix product line and look forward to providing exceptional value-added services to our shared customers,” stated Randall P. Marx, CEO of Group Mobile. “General Dynamics’ rugged computing products have a sound, established business and a network of strong, loyal customers. Their products are of the highest quality and very competitive.”


General Dynamics C4 Systems is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).

Headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., Group Mobile International LLC offers accessory and ruggedized computer products for customers all over North America. Customers range from Fortune 500 companies and the U.S. military, to local police/fire/ambulance, to small and mid-size businesses, to the frequent traveler that needs something more durable than a commercial, off-the-shelf computer.