| As you probably heard, in September 2005 | | | | America is about at the same time belt - Brazil, |
| Microsoft strategically renamed its ERP | | | | Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico - these are probably |
| applications: Microsoft Great Plains into Microsoft | | | | smaller clusters of offshore & BPO |
| Dynamics GP, Microsoft Navision into Microsoft | | | | companies, but the advantage of time zone is |
| Dynamics NAV, Microsoft Axapta into Microsoft | | | | obviouso Pure Offshore vs. Local Consulting. Again |
| Dynamics AX, Microsoft CRM into Microsoft | | | | - the choice is yours - in our opinion pure offshore |
| Dynamics CRM, Microsoft Solomon into Microsoft | | | | is not the best option - offshore consultants and |
| Dynamics SL. As so-called Project Green is rolling | | | | developers should be also experienced in serving |
| out - you should expect more logic to be | | | | clients face-to-face, this means - they should |
| transferred into Microsoft Business Portal, and into | | | | have local consulting practice in their local |
| Microsoft Outlook (currently Microsoft CRM has | | | | countries.o Dexterity, VBA, Web Services. Here |
| outlook client and Microsoft Small Business | | | | we are coming down to IT people - in our opinion |
| Accounting allows you to generate invoices in | | | | the best offshore project is Microsoft Dexterity |
| Outlook directly, plus promote contacts from | | | | (or Great Plain Dexterity) software developmento |
| Outlook to SBA). | | | | Lovely Islands. If you are in Bermuda, Bahamas, |
| As we see and expect new high-tech and | | | | Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Palau, Fiji, Tahiti - you are |
| business systems market trends - remote and | | | | probably underserved and have to overpay to |
| offshore support will be taking substantial market | | | | consultants flying from Miami, Manila, Paris, |
| share in 2006-2010. Microsoft event plans to have | | | | Chicago, NY, LA. The same should be told about |
| special partnership models for BPO (Business | | | | USA/Canada rural communitieso ERP Historical |
| Processes Outsourcing) partners, who will enter | | | | Trend. Well, if you stake on Microsoft Business |
| your AP/AR documents into the system and | | | | Solutions - you still might have legacy of products: |
| prepare reporting for you. | | | | IBM Lotus Notes Domino, Oracle Financials |
| In this small article we'll consider the alternatives | | | | Applications/E-Business Suite, SAP, PeopleSoft, |
| and directions of Microsoft Great Plains offshore | | | | JDEdwards, Accpac, Siebel, SalesLogix. You might |
| remote support:o Technical Feasibility. As we are | | | | need integration, data conversion, customization |
| watching the parade of remote internet-based | | | | and heterogeneous reporting. Again - in our opinion |
| technologies: Terminal Services, Citrix, Web | | | | you should consider budget offshore solution for |
| Sessions, Skype, PCAnywhere, Vonage/VOIP | | | | these developers-time consuming projectso Brazil |
| (with US based phone numbers, physically located | | | | - rising star of offshore software development. |
| offshore), we think that this is just a matter of | | | | Usually offshore development is attributed to India |
| time (let's give it five years - up to 2010) when | | | | - in our opinion Brazil has equal or better chances - |
| consultant driving to the client physical location | | | | in Brazil we have Microsoft Navision, CRM and |
| office will go to historyo Time Zones. Well - yes - | | | | Axapta clientele. From Brazil we can serve you |
| you are right. Other countries are located in | | | | Portuguese (mainland Portugal) and Spanish |
| different time zones, especially Great Plains gurus | | | | (Spain-Madrid-Barcelona-Malaga-Bilbao, Mexico, |
| in Philippines (remember Match Data Great Plains | | | | Peru, Bolivia, Chili, Argentina, Costa Rica, Salvador, |
| Project Accounting?). Philippines and India are | | | | Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, Beliz)o BPO. |
| almost 12 hours away from USA. However South | | | | Currently we offer these services from India. |