Microsoft Dynamics @ WPC 2015 Thank you to everyone who attended the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference. We hosted over 10,371 partners, of which 14% were Dynamics focused. It was my first WPC and I found it was a wonderful event, providing me the opportunity to meet with many of you one-on-one or in roundtable settings. I was thrilled to see that our Dynamics business was featured in many keynote sessions and it is abundantly clear that our Dynamics business is now at the core of Microsoft. It was also a pleasure to see the number of great partners recognized as the 2015 Presidents Club and Inner Circle winners. Congratulations! This year we showcased sessions to drive more profitability in your business such as the Cloud Solution Provider program, what’s next with “AX7”, and Partner incentives, while reinforcing the need for stronger capabilities in the channel through emotional engagement, just to name a few. Our Microsoft Dynamics sessions received solid evaluation scores, and the attendance reflected the focus on important, targeted messages. You may view a list of all of the Dynamics sessions here. Our goal is to ensure WPC is the premier event for you to hear about the investments we’re making to generate growth, leveraging one of our most important assets – our partners. Therefore, I look forward to your feedback on the event, and other important topics. Overall, I want to thank you for your investment for continued success and growth in FY16 and beyond. Thanks,         Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Licensing and Pricing Update During WPC 2015, we shared some exciting licensing and pricing updates for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. We are extending our Sales Productivity promotional pricing, providing a combined solution approach with Office 365, offering new purchasing options through our partner community, and new deployment options with Microsoft Azure. For more information on these updates, please visit the blog here.         Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online now available through the Cloud Solution Program (CSP) Dynamics CRM Online is now available through the Cloud Solution Provider program. Through the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program, partners can: Sell integrated offers and solutions Own the end-to-end customer lifecycle Own and control the billing relationship Visit PartnerSource or MPN to learn more and sign up today!         Get Ready for Microsoft Dynamics AX 7! Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference was a very important milestone for Dynamics ‘AX 7.’ At the event, we provided a preview of Dynamics ‘AX 7’ to our partners and shared the requirements to help them get ready to promote ‘AX 7’ when globally available. Visit PartnerSource for more details about Dynamics ‘AX 7.’ Learn more about LCS solutions and submit nominations for your solutions.         Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015 R2 is now generally available! Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015 R2 is now generally available, offering key updates and functionality focused on improved ease of use, faster deployment, and deeper interoperability with Microsoft Azure. Want to learn more about new features? Read Microsoft Dynamics 2015 R2 “Feature of the Day” blog post series, and download Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015 R2 and readiness materials on PartnerSource.         FY16 MBS Campaign Planning to Drive Demand in a Modern Marketing World We are excited to announce our FY16 campaigns to generate awareness and demand through an end-to-end, engaging customer journey. Our campaigns align to three core priorities: Customer Engagement Solutions with the Sales Productivity Campaign Intelligent Operations with targeted Industry execution packages and our AX7 launch, and Small and Medium Business Solutions with the ModernBiz Campaign. As FY16 begins, we encourage you to learn more about the campaigns available in H1: Sales Productivity Financial Services execution pack Healthcare execution pack ModernBiz (CRM) ModernBiz for Dynamics ERP Empower Retail & Consumer Products Empower Manufacturing & Resources Empower Media & Communications (to come in Q1) Empower Marketing (to come in Q1) Empower Professional Services Empower Education Empower Safety & National Security Empower Government Regarding new campaigns coming in H2, we are planning to provide marketing and sales materials for the AX7 launch and for Customer Care. Stay tuned for updates in the coming months.         Register Now for Convergence 2015 EMEA Convergence, Microsoft’s premier customer event, brings all customers and prospects together to discover the solutions, the connections, and the inspiration to take your business to the next level. Come to Barcelona, Spain, 30 November – 2 December 2015. Registration prior to 18 September saves you €300. Download marketing materials from the Convergence PartnerSource page to take advantage of this ideal setting for meeting and deepening relationships, connecting with peers and experts across industries, and getting an insider’s look at innovative tools that will give your company an edge.         Technical Checkpoint for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Accelerate Package Now Available We are pleased to announce the availability of the Technical Checkpoint for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Accelerate Package. Technical Checkpoint for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Accelerate package is designed to support Dynamics CRM Online customers in a partner-led implementation, delivering real value at an affordable price-point, and proving the value of Microsoft Services to open discussions for additional services and sales. For more details or to review the Customer presentation and datasheet, please contact your Partner Sales Executive, Partner Technology Strategist or Operations Team member.         Branding Changes for Microsoft Dynamics The Microsoft Dynamics brand has undergone a change to better align with Microsoft’s “One Microsoft” mission. To help you with this transition, here are some key changes to note: Microsoft is the lead brand on all content The logotype with “sails” can no longer be used Use Microsoft brand templates and photography instead of Dynamics-specific templates Make sure that the full name “Microsoft Dynamics” is in your headlines and body copy For more guidelines and helpful information to make sure that you are compliant with the latest branding and that you are accurately representing Microsoft Dynamics in the marketplace, please review the updated guidance here.               Over 13,000 VMs deployed through Lifecycle Services for Dynamics AX 2012 R3 environments! More and more partners are experiencing the benefits of Lifecycle Services (LCS). In the first week of June 2015 we officially had our 10,000th VM deployed through LCS for AX 2012 R3 environments! This includes demo, development, testing, and production environments. Experience the ease and speed of automating the server set up and software deployment of AX 2012 R3 on Azure with LCS! Visit the LCS site, and check out the updates in the “Cloud Deployments” tab to learn more about running AX on Azure and see cost estimates for various deployment scenarios Take the training available on the Dynamics Learning Platform for Cloud-hosted environments (Module 9). If you don’t have access to the Dynamics Learning Platform, you need the Training Pack. More details are available here.         New Readiness Content for Microsoft Dynamics AX Be sure to explore these new e-learning courses recently released on the Dynamics Learning Portal! How to Get Started with AX on Azure Transportation Management in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 CU8 Warehouse Management in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 CU8 SQL Optimization for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 CU8         Microsoft Dynamics CRM Practice Building To help our partners realize the scope of the opportunity and understand how to monetize the modern cloud marketplace, readiness content has been developed for partners in the Midmarket space. This content focuses on how to drive profitability in the cloud and give you the greatest opportunity to improve conversion rate to a cloud-centric business. Learn more by visiting the MPN Cloud SureStep Learning Path and choosing the “Business Decision Maker: Why should Partners Sell, Deploy and Manage CRM Online?” path.           Below you can view priority updates. Be sure to visit PartnerSource, a web-based portal for Microsoft partners who focus on Microsoft Dynamics solutions. The portal provides tools and resources to help find customers, train personnel and deliver products and customer service.     Announcements   Events Highlights   Readiness The H1 Dynamics CRM Promo Roadmap for FY16 is now available! Announcing Onboarding Success Center for CRM Online MPN ERP/CRM Competency Information In One Screen – Are you ready? Save the Date for Microsoft Convergence 2016 April 4-7, New Orleans, LA. Strategic Alliance with Lithium: Adding Community Insights to Dynamics CRM Bringing the Dynamics CRM Cloud to Canada and India Sellers Can Build Better Relationships with LinkedIn Sales Navigator + Microsoft Dynamics CRM Oct. 5 -7: Directions EMEA Oct. 25 – 28: Directions 2015 Nov 30 – Dec 2: Convergence EMEA US ONLY: Microsoft Dynamics Upcoming Trainings & Events Microsoft Dynamics Editorial Calendar - FY16 coming soon Get Ready for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Readiness Blitz Oct. 29 Mark your calendar for the Microsoft Dynamics AX Readiness Blitz: TBD – Q4 CY 2015 Give a winning pitch with Pitch Perfect: CRM Online Coming August 2015! MPN ERP/CRM competency information in one screen! Partners Nab New Talent from CRM Career Connect Bootcamps Microsoft Dynamics Sales Capability Learning Plans (select “Sales” or “Presales” role) Microsoft Dynamics CRM Technical Capability Learning Plans (select “Technology Consultant” role)           We are always looking for ways to improve. Tell us what topics you would like to read about in the upcoming Partner News Update. Email us at mbspartnercom@microsoft.com.     Click here for previous editions of the Partner News Update