1ClickFactory and QBS Group Merge to Form Companial, an International Network of Microsoft Dynamics Partners

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1ClickFactory and QBS Group merge to provide additional service offerings to customers as it becomes Companial, the largest and fastest-growing international network of Microsoft Dynamics Partners.

Leusden, The Netherlands, Vilinus, Lithuania, Feb. 2, 2022 –  1ClickFactory, based in Vilnius, Lithuania and QBS Group, headquartered in Leusden, the Netherlands, announced today, February 2nd, 2022, that the companies are merging to form a new company named Companial.

1ClickFacory and QBS Group are well known in the Microsoft Business Application area, providing services and licenses to Microsoft Dynamics Partners. When 1ClickFactory and QBS Group began its strategic partnership in 2017, it quickly became obvious that both companies’ offerings around technical services, enablement, license operation, support for Independent software vendors (ISV), marketing services and Dynamics Partner engagement were very complementary, all focused on Microsoft Dynamics and Power Platform. Companial comes to market with a clear vision to become the preferred community for every Dynamics professional.

1ClickFactory is a Microsoft ISV Development Center and Gold Certified in Enterprise Resource Planning, Application Development and Cloud Platform. As a global business, it delivers services to 300+ Dynamics Partners in 40+ countries. 1ClickFactory’s high-quality Microsoft Dynamics 365 upgrade, development, and training services, together with its leading Microsoft Azure managed hosting service, help Microsoft Partners offer better business value to customers, delivering solutions on-premises and/or in the cloud.

“I am very excited to join forces and offer a One-Stop-Shop for every Dynamics Professional with Companial. Our clear mission is to exceed expectations by putting our Microsoft Partners at the center of all our efforts, offering outstanding services, developing and supporting Dynamics Partners on their (cloud) journey, and empowering them in all aspects of their business. The central word in our vision is “community”. We do everything to make the community work and to inspire those in it.

Companial promises that it’s easy to do business with us, that we offer a high-quality portfolio of services supporting all Dynamics workloads, and that we provide our Dynamics Partners with appealing offers!

We are dedicated to the success of our Dynamics Partners, and above all we prioritize personal relationships and a personal touch for the good of our community,”
Louis Rustenhoven, Chief Executive Officer, Companial.

QBS Group is the largest Dynamics ecosystem, second only to Microsoft itself. Situated in over 25 countries worldwide, with over 800 Partners that manage more than 40,000 customers, QBS Group was one of the only Dynamics-focused indirect Cloud Solution Providers. With its expertise and personal contact, QBS Group has helped Dynamics Partners transition to the cloud and supported them in driving the digital transformation. Microsoft has recently recognized QBS Group with the Inner Circle Award for Microsoft Business Applications 2021/22, the 8th year in a row QBS Group has received this honor.

“Seeing Dynamics Partners in our ecosystem scale is the number one thing for growth. We recognize that our Microsoft Partners are the wakeboard, and we want Microsoft Partners to be as efficient, capable, and notable as possible. We have had such great experiences with QBS and 1ClickFactory in the past and we are confident that this combination is really going to enable Companial to bring on more customers, do a better job, have a higher level of customer satisfaction, and have a great relationship with Microsoft. A win-win-win situation for everyone!”
Mike Morton, General Manager Business Central, Microsoft.

While the launch of Companial will have no impact on existing relationships and contracts that Dynamics Partners have with 1ClickFactory or QBS Group, Dynamics Partners can expect additional services and offerings that will help them to either establish a Microsoft Dynamics practice or evolve an existing business to enable digital transformation and better satisfy customers. One example is the newly announced partnership with Plataan, one of the leading training providers for Microsoft Dynamics and Power Platform. This partnership will result in a full set of trainings and enablement tools that will be offered under the Companial brand to Dynamics Partners worldwide.

“I am happy to share my thoughts about the integration that is now happening between QBS and 1ClickFactory. We are excited and we think it’s a great move. Collectively, as a community, we have an enormous amount of work to do to take Dynamics customers forward to a bright Dynamics 365 cloud future. And only collectively do we have the resources to make that happen in any kind of sensitive timeframe. We are already enjoying working with your team to move our customers forward and we hope to do much more of that in the future and having a single throat to choke. We look forward to working with you”
Paul White, Chief Executive Officer at The NAV | 365 People

About Companial

Companial is the largest and fastest-growing international network of Microsoft Dynamics

Partners. Companial supports its Dynamics Partners – Resellers, System Integrators, Service Providers, and ISVs – with business and technical services aimed at growing revenue, lowering costs, and improving customer satisfaction. Companial is an official SMB ERP Distributor; Indirect CSP Provider for Microsoft; a Microsoft ISV Development Center; and Gold Certified in Enterprise Resource Planning, Application Development and Cloud Platform. Companial’s high-quality Microsoft Dynamics 365 upgrade, development, and migration services, together with its leading Microsoft Azure managed hosting service, helps Microsoft Partners offer better business value to their customers when delivering solutions on-premises and/or in the cloud. Companial is currently delivering and supporting over 1000 Dynamics Partners in more than 40 countries worldwide.

For more information reach out to: Ursula Koller, ukoller@qbsgroup.com

Visit our website: www.companial.com

Microsoft New Commerce Experience in CSP – Office Hours

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Microsoft has released the New Commerce Experience for seat-based licenses in the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program.
There are some important changes compared to the current CSP subscriptions that you as partner should be aware of.
Therefore, we are pleased to invite you to our Office Hours regarding the New Commerce Experience in CSP, hosted by the Partner Care team.
During these Office Hours, we will go through important updates, and give you the opportunity to ask all your questions.

Date Time
Thursday 3 February 2022 13:00 – 13:30 CET
Thursday 17 February 2022 13:00 – 13:30 CET
Thursday 3 March 2022 13:00 – 13:30 CET
Thursday 17 March 2022 13:00 – 13:30 CET
Thursday 31 March 2022 13:00 – 13:30 CEST

 

Do you really need the Business Central Universal Code Initiative? Are you shocked? Let’s hope not…

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What’s the Business Central Universal Code Initiative?

For a while now, Microsoft has been emphasizing the move to the Cloud. We’ve had their ‘Cloud-first strategy’ and then more recently, the ‘Business Central Publisher Program’ targeting ISVs to convince and even force them to adopt the ‘Cloud-first strategy’. Microsoft forces ISVs to put their solutions on AppSource, even if those ISVs are only serving on-premises customers right now. They’ve even gone so far as to announce possible fees in the future if you won’t adopt the Cloud-first strategy. And now, with the Business Central Universal Code initiative, they are targeting everyone to adopt this strategy.

Basically, with this new initiative, selling extensions not targeted for online use to new Business Central on-premises customers could require you to license two additional modules:

  • Module “Implemented code is not in extensions”
    When the Microsoft Business Central base application is modified, customers will need to license this module.
  • Module “Implemented code is not cloud-optimized”
    When code is developed in extensions, but they are not cloud-optimized, customers will need to license this module

The cost of these modules (read: fees) will start at $0 per full user (both Essentials and Premium) per year and will increase over time. Here is the timeline Microsoft is currently aiming for.

And what about those increasing fees?

Recurring fee(s) Timeline Implemented code is not in extensions Implemented code is not cloud-optimized
2022 $0 $0
2023 $75 $0
2024 $125 $75
2025 $250 $175
2026 onwards TBD TBD

Note: Customers who licensed Dynamics NAV or Dynamics 365 Business Central on-premises before April 1, 2022 will not be required to license the non-Universal Code modules in their current configuration. They can add, remove users and first- and third-party functionality without the need to license previous mentioned new modules.

More information about Business Central Universal Code

What’s Microsoft’s Goal?

To put it very simply, Microsoft would like to create a Business Central SaaS world where every (potential) customer can get any (ISV) solution they need to be able to run their organization on Business Central SaaS. Therefore, Microsoft wants you to create solutions that will work in Business Central SaaS. It’s the future for Microsoft Partners and customers in the Dynamics 365 (Business Central) community, and Microsoft wants to see everyone collaborating on this. Microsoft tries to motivate us by charging fees to those who do not cooperate.

The benefits of the Universal Code initiative, according to Microsoft:

  • Universal Code can be implemented everywhere, in Business Central online, in on-premises or Partner-hosted environments.
  • By listing your Universal Code on Microsoft AppSource, you extend your sales force, reach more customers, and connect directly with decision-makers.
  • By bundling your connected Microsoft cloud services with Universal Code, you generate customer stickiness.
  • Universal Code frees up capacity to improve our mutual offerings and we will be able to serve more customers.

Let’s Get Technical about Universal Code

From Q4 2022 onwards, technical enforcement will be introduced in Business Central so that only ‘Universal Code’ is allowed as additional code in customer environments. You need to move to full extensions only, meaning no more code customizations in Base App. That means in your app.json you should use: “target” : “Cloud”, so your code will work both in SaaS and in on-premises environments.

To make your solutions compatible with Business Central SaaS you need to meet the requirements of SaaS, such as:

  • No usage of .Net Interop (please think about Azure Functions)
  • No file system (please think about Azure Blob Storage, Cosmos etc.)
  • No direct access to SQL
  • Web client only
  • No Base App Source Code modifications
  • Lack of events
  • Printing

This means you not only have to think about moving your code to AL, but also about how to overcome the limitations or requirements of Business Central SaaS. You really need to think outside the box and see the opportunity offered by the whole Microsoft Platform instead of just focusing on the Business Central app itself.

You really need to have a look at Azure (Functions, Storage, SQL, Apps, etc.) which offers multiple solutions in the stack to help you meet the requirements of Business Central SaaS. And yes, that requires other skills you probably don’t have in your organization yet.

Conclusion, Impact and Calls to Action

So, are you shocked, or do you need to make use of this initiative? Let’s hope not, because that would mean you have missed all the Microsoft news in the last 3 or 4 years.

Microsoft has shared their vision for the direction of Business Central SaaS.  It should be the easiest-to-use business application suite, delightful, efficient, “video-game” fast, powerful, simple to discover and quick to onboard. All of this should be available for every (potential) Business Central customer, and they want you to collaborate on that by making your solutions available for SaaS (too).

Hopefully you are already there, or at least almost there, but if not, please rethink your organization’s approach or even the right to exist in the next few years. If you really would like to embrace the cloud you need to think outside the ERP box. It’s not a single solution, but just one part of the platform you offer to your customers.

  • Rethink your solution: Get rid of legacy customizations that are included in Business Central nowadays. Think about Buy or Build. If something already exists on AppSource, why are you going to invest in creating a similar app?
  • Embrace Azure: Have a look at your solutions through the eyes of an Azure Solutions Architect. Train your team in Azure (Blob, SQL, Logic Apps, Functions and Cosmos to start with).
  • Pick your battles: Use Horizontal ISV Solutions. Don’t develop something which already exists. Team up with other Partners. Outsource development and maintenance of your apps.
  • Search for Value: Only invest in solutions where you are really adding value to Business Central and your vertical. Have a look at the QBS Marketplace. Tell your PSM that you would like to have a chat with one of our Architects.

 

I would like to close with a quote of Marije Brummel (Azure Solutions Architect);

“No one needs to be left behind!”

Strategic Partnership QBS Group and 1Clickfactory with Plataan

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Plataan, based in Hasselt, Belgium and QBS Group, headquartered in Leusden, The Netherlands announced today that they will join forces moving forward. As of January 2022, QBS Group has acquired a shareholder majority of Plataan.

This transaction is an important step in the strategy of QBS Group to enhance the portfolio of partner growth services delivered to the worldwide Dynamics partner channel. It perfectly fits in the vision of the group to be the most preferred community and center of expertise for every Dynamics professional in the world.

In 2021 Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (BC) SaaS growth figures showed that it is now imperative that Dynamics partners become proficient in the relevant Dynamics 365 Business Central competencies, skills and knowledge. The tremendous growth of Business Central SaaS is also reflected in the accelerated intake and number of certifications of new Business Central professionals in the “Business Central Booster” Training Program delivered by Plataan. This program is a virtual online program designed to learn through practical, hands-on exercises whilst being guided by an experienced certified trainer. Apart from the Booster programs for Dynamics Business Central, Plataan is offering training courses for Microsoft’s Power Platform, Office 365 and the Customer Engagement workloads.

With this important strategic announcement, QBS Group and Plataan move into a league of their own when it comes to training capabilities, capacity and coverage to serve the Dynamics partner channel:

We consider Plataan as a leading strategic training partner for our community of current and future Dynamics partners. The ambition of Plataan to build all-inclusive online competency programs for Dynamics partners perfectly fits with our unique set of technical services covering Business Central, F&O, PowerApps and Customer Engagement and our expertise in Traditional and CSP (Cloud) licensing. We’re all looking forward to a great collaboration with multiple benefits for our partner community!
 Louis Rustenhoven, CEO QBS Group & 1ClickFactory

 

Both companies are true partner focused organisations. Both have a ‘Microsoft Dynamics only’ strategy. No other Value-Added Distributor in the worldwide Microsoft channel can claim this. Our (digital) training offerings and capabilities combined with the sales & marketing and deep technical skills of QBS Group & 1ClickFactory together plus their wide international distribution network create a great fit! The Dynamics partner community can expect from us more attractive training offerings, including offerings around the domain of D365 Finance & Supply Chain and Power Platform.
Vincent Bellefroid, Partner Plataan

 

Directions EMEA in Milan and we as QBS Group will be there!

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It was a tough year without meeting each other in person, having the network possibilities at events and not seeing each other in the conference of Directions. But the focus at this event will be on the fall release of Dynamics 365 Business Central, efficient use of the new development environment, cloud infrastructure and Power Platform.
Gain first-hand knowledge about Dynamics 365 Business Central and the Power Platform.

Innovate your business to successfully deal with technological requirements, and new pricing and sales policies. Offer customers outstanding extensions, innovative solutions, and apps in AppSource using Business Central, Azure Services, Microsoft Power Platform, AI and Machine Learning Collaborate with Microsoft and other Dynamics partners worldwide to enhance your offerings and SMB market presence.

Join Directions EMEA 2021 in Milan on October 27-29, 2021 and get inspired by the QBS presentations during our expertise sessions.

See you in Milan!

 

How to rapidly sell Business Central as a 100% fit, and let your customers recognize the value immediately.

William van Voorthuijsen
William van Voorthuijsen

Target audience: Sales & Marketing, Leadership, Consulting

In this session, you will learn the tips and tricks on how to sell Business Central SaaS to customers in the lower end of the SMB space. We all know that those customers don’t expect high implementation costs. They would rather love to recognize the value of Business Central immediately at low costs and as a great fit with their business. Learn how to complete standard Business Central with some great AppSource offerings and rapid implementations making use of wizards so that your end customers are up and running very quickly as well as recognizing the value of using Business Central in their business.

Session Info – Thursday, October 28, 2021 – 11.00 a.m. – Room Amber 5+6

There is a solution for almost every business challenge, but where can you find it?

Herman van Leeuwen QBS group
Herman van Leeuwen

Target audience: Sales & Marketing

The cloud transformation offers the opportunity to use a dedicated ISV solution rather than developing customizations. Today there are over 1,500 Business Central solutions published on AppSource. Herman will explain how you can find the right solution.

Session Info – Wednesday, October 27, 2021 – 11.00 a.m. – Room Amber 5+6

Go to Market with Power Platform

Chris Parkes
Chris Parkes

Target audience: Sales & Marketing, Leadership

Power Platform is just that, a Platform. It’s difficult to go to market with a platform proposition to your customers so how can you start to make money from Power Platform and associated technologies?  If you would like to think about how you can go from Dynamics 365 or Business Central to broader Business Applications, you need to think outside of the product box and broadly consider what can be delivered.  Attend this session to learn about how you can begin to commercialise power platforms, what scenarios may fit the market, what has worked well for partners already and what you will need to consider to get ready to start a successful Power Platform practice.

Session Info – Wednesday, October 27, 2021 – 11.00 a.m. – Room Coral 3

Have a look at the sessions of 1Click Factory at Directions

Pass by at our booth S09 – a nice surprise is waiting for you!

We are looking forward to seeing you at Directions EMEA in Milan.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us!

Dynamics 365 Update Webcast 1 July 2021

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This series of webcasts is intended to share the latest information on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and related ISV solutions, both from a technical, functional and business perspective.
And along the year we will keep you informed about the latest news from Microsoft biggest events like Inspire, Directions ASIA, North America and EMEA.

Topics – 1 July 2021

Part 1: Dynamics 365 Business Central Update
Dynamics 365 Business Central Update (20 Minutes)

Part 2: PowerPlatform and CRM update
PowerPlatform and CRM update (20 Minutes)

Part 3: Solitea
Solitea (15 Minutes)

Dynamics 365 Update Webcast

Dynamics 365 Update Webcast

Cosmos versus Azure SQL and how to integrate with Dynamics 365 Business Central #MSDYN365BC

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One of the highest-scoring FAQs from partners and customers moving to Business Central is about direct access to the SQL Server database in combination with the maximum database size.

When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Since Dynamics NAV in the last ten years only ran on SQL Server this is what most partners know. Large customers often buy CPU licenses and since they have a SQL Server this is what they often start using as a Data Warehouse too.

The cloud equivalent of SQL Server is Azure SQL and this is fully supported by Business Central. In fact, this is what Microsoft uses for hosting the SaaS platform.

One might be tempted to use Azure SQL then also for cloud data storage, but this may not always be the best choice. On Azure, we have more than just a hammer.

Azure Cosmos Database is a good alternative in Azure if you are looking to store large amounts of data from different sources that you want to use in a Web Shop or other Web-Based solution.

The question that rises is then, what would this cost, and how do I send information back and forth between Cosmos and Business Central.

The pricing model for Cosmos is different from Azure SQL in a sense that you pay for real throughput and storage. The storage model is cheaper than the model for Azure SQL.

Cosmos is also auto-scale and auto indexed even though I expect that most of the workload from SMB customers will not be affected by this a lot.

Cosmos vs. Azure Data Lake

In this article we discuss Cosmos as an alternative to Azure SQL. Cosmos is not the only alternative and in the next articles, we will also discuss Azure Data Lake and other blob-based solutions.

Working with Cosmos & Business Central

As you may expect from my profile the main topic of this blog is the technology required to get data to move from Business Central to Cosmos. For this there are two options and I’ll describe both and share code examples.

In both cases we are going to use the Cosmos Rest API.

The AL way

The first option and probably the option of choice by experienced AL developers is to call the API directly from Business Central. This is a straightforward HTTP request where we send json information to a Cosmos container. The thing that may require to fiddle with a bit is the security tokens, but this has been laid out in the example code. You can find code examples on our GitHub.

The C# way

Another option which will most likely be the preferred option by developers who are new to our community is to call the Business Central REST API from an Azure Function and push that data into Cosmos using some C# code. This is also part of the examples you can find on GitHub.

Best of both worlds

Both options can also be combined. This depends on how you want to schedule the synchronization. Scheduling can be done using a Logic App that synchronizes data every x minutes, or hours, or you can push the Azure Function from the Business Central Job Queue. Alternatively, you can even call the Azure Event Grid from a Business Central Webhook and use that to transform data from Business Central to Cosmos.

The Azure Function also allows data to be stored from other data sources such as a SOAP endpoint.

Pitfalls and tips

You can store all kinds of data in Cosmos, based on containers just like Azure Blob Storage.

Cosmos is a no SQL database so it does not force you to follow schemas.

The consequence of the lack of schema’s is that it becomes the responsibility of the owner of the database to make sure data in a container is consistent and all json files follow the same structure.

As an example, let’s assume you have created a container with Item Inventory by date and you want to add location code as a new field. You need to update old records with the location code or create a new container with fresh data.

The example code provided on the GitHub contains a Version No. field and some extra Metadata about the json stored in the container. This allows you to have multiple versions of a record in the same container and store, for example, items and resources in the same container. This can have an advantage if you need an aggregation across Business Central entities in one container.

Because throughput is the main driver for cost in Cosmos it can also be beneficial to duplicate data across containers if there is a clear difference in data requirements across certain BI dashboards. For example, certain dashboards only require a customer name, where other dashboards require post codes or city.

Since data is stored in json format you can store parent and child information in one container, such as Sales Headers and Lines.

Creating a new Cosmos Instance & Database

One of the reasons Cosmos can be interesting for the SMB market and Business Central users is that it provides a free entry level of 25GB and 1000ru. This should suffice for an average Datawarehouse combining data from Business Central and other entities.

Cosmos versus Azure SQL and how to integrate with Dynamics 365 Business Central #MSDYN365BC
API

You can choose any API you are familiar with, but the examples on our GitHub are based on Core SQL. This syntax is relatively close to Transact SQL that most Business Central power users are familiar with.
Cosmos versus Azure SQL and how to integrate with Dynamics 365 Business Central #MSDYN365BC

 

Serverless or Provisioned

Probably serverless since we are having very incremental workloads. If we don’t use Cosmos, we only pay for storage.

Account Name

The account name is a generic name, used for all databases, just like an Azure SQL Server.

Other options may be left default or may vary based on your organizational backup and security policies and are not part of the scope of this document.

Creating a Database and a Container

In our code examples, the Database and Container are created by the Azure Function in C# if you try to write to a Database and/or Container that does not exist. The AL code does not contain examples of creating a Database or Container automatically. If you go for AL only you need to either write this code or create them manually via the Azure Portal.

Cosmos versus Azure SQL and how to integrate with Dynamics 365 Business Central #MSDYN365BC

 

GitHub
https://github.com/qbsgroup/QBS.BusinessCentral.Cosmos
https://github.com/qbsgroup/QBS.AzureFunction.Cosmos

 

Dynamics 365 Update Webcast 27 May 2021

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This series of webcasts is intended to share the latest information on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and related ISV solutions, both from a technical, functional and business perspective.
And along the year we will keep you informed about the latest news from Microsoft biggest events like Inspire, Directions ASIA, North America and EMEA.

Dynamics 365 Update Webcast

Dynamics 365 Update Webcast

Why is Azure SQL so important for Dynamics 365 Business Central?

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Let us start with a common question:

“When a customer is not considering going with Business Central SaaS, what are the options to move to the cloud?”

Dynamics 365 Business Central has a clear advantage against competitor ERP solutions that do not offer and on-premises or hybrid solution. When we talk about deployment choices, we are really referring to two elements:

  1. Business Central Service Tier(s)
  2. SQL Server database

Most non-SaaS deployments are often split into three configurations:

  1. Fully on-premises
  2. Azure VM hosted (Service Tiers) & tenanted SQL database (PaaS)
  3. Azure VM hosted (Service Tiers & SQL Server)

Each of these common configurations has its own advantages and disadvantages. There is clearly not a right or wrong configuration here. It is ultimately all down to what requirements customers have.

Whilst the three options above are the snapshot of a complete Business Central deployment, we need to pay particular attention to the database and where it is hosted!

When deciding on where the database should reside, the options are:

  1. Install SQL Server on-premises
  2. Install SQL Server on an Azure VM
  3. Use Azure SQL Database (PaaS)

When you decide to adopt options 1 and 2, there is a high level of maintenance involved. This often falls entirely or partially with the Dynamics partner, certainly with many SMB customers deployments, where they do not have a dedicated IT department.

Option 3, on the other hand, offers the capabilities of SQL Server in a PaaS configuration. This means that the maintenance (patching, security, etc.) fall entirely on the service provider, in this case, Microsoft Operations.

Contrary to general belief, SQL Server (on-premises/Azure-hosted version) and Azure SQL, differ in design. The latter is specifically architected for cloud computing, performance, and scalability. Some additional features such as geo-replication and geo-redundancy, are only available with Azure SQL.

What’s the difference between Azure SQL and SQL Server?

When comparing the performance of Azure SQL database and a SQL Server deployed to a virtual machine, we need to consider a few intrinsic “differences”:

  • Azure SQL Database is a high-availability database.
  • Azure SQL Database is a scalable and intelligent service that includes features such as high-availability, backups, automatic index tuning, security vulnerability assessment, and advanced threat detection. When choosing a pricing tier for running your production database, make sure that you compare this to a similar setup for SQL Server on a virtual machine (including the cost of administration and maintenance).
  • The performance of an Azure SQL database is correlated to the price you pay for usage, and new pricing models evolve over time. Use the scalability options within the service to change the database performance tier for your installation as your workload changes over time.

So why is it recommended for Business Central?

You can deploy a Business Central database to Azure SQL Database. Azure SQL Database is a cloud service that provides data storage as a part of the Azure Services Platform.

To optimize performance, Microsoft recommends that the Business Central Server instance that connects to the database is also deployed on a virtual machine in Azure. Additionally, the virtual machine and SQL Database must be in the same Azure region.

For development and maintenance work on Business Central applications. If the Dynamics NAV Development Environment is installed on the same virtual machine in Azure as the Business Central Server, then you can connect to the Azure SQL database from the development environment.

Does QBS Group offer any training for my technical resources on this specific topic?

Of course, we do! Our very own Jan Veenendaal, Partner Technical Strategist, has developed a unique “hands-on” workshop only available from QBS Group to educate our Partners about this topic. Here you will find the full details of the workshop: Learn more about Workshop Azure SQL on our Training page.

Dynamics 365 CRM Update Webcast 16 October 2020

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Get the latest insights from Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM

This series of webcasts is intended to share the latest information on Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM, both from a technical, functional and business perspective.

In this webcast, we present in just 45 minutes the most important updates around Dynamics 365 2020 Wave 2 Release.

Dynamics 365 CRM Update Webcast

Dynamics 365 Update Webcast

Dynamics 365 Update Webcast 15 October 2020

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This series of webcasts is intended to share the latest information on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and related ISV solutions, both from a technical, functional and business perspective.
And along the year we will keep you informed about the latest news from Microsoft biggest events like Inspire, Directions ASIA, North America and EMEA.

Topics – 15 October 2020

Part 1: Dynamics 365 Business Central Update
Dynamics 365 Business Central Update (14 Minutes)

Part 2: Dynamics 365 Update
Dynamics 365 Update (14 Minutes)

Part 3: Meet LS Express, the online Point of Sale (POS) of LS Retail, a Dynamics 365 Business Central extension to address the largest vertical in Europe.
LS Express (12 Minutes)

Dynamics 365 Update Webcast

Dynamics 365 Update Webcast

What is the MB-800 Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Exam and why does it matter?

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Microsoft has launched a brand-new certification exam for Dynamics 365 Business Central SaaS. This is the first certification in a long time since Microsoft decided to drop the exams for the legacy product, Dynamics NAV, back in July 2014. Microsoft Dynamics resellers have disliked the lack of certification in the last six years, as it made it all too easy for anyone to enter the implementation market without any proven “badge”. As they say, differentiation in key!

The MB-800 certification exam entered Beta phase on 6th October 2020. Only a very limited number of participants worldwide can book this exam. This is intentional as Microsoft evaluates feedback on the Beta and incorporates any changes into the final version of the exam when it goes live.

The MB 800 Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Exam is focused entirely on Business Central SaaS and requires a consultant to demonstrate theoretical knowledge around implementing Business Central. This means that you cannot just rely on your legacy experience as a Dynamics NAV/Business Central consultant. If we want to use an analogy here, we could describe sitting this exam, as if you were to retake your practical driving test many decades after having developed bad habits! It is that type of theoretical exam when you really need to think back on the theory rather than the hands-on way of implementing  Business Central.

The exam is made up of many dozens of questions that can range from multiple choice to sequences and drag and drop options. Also, you will be required to look at a customer case study and answer with advice based on the scenario.

The general advice from our side is to ensure you make the most of the autumn time prepping for the exam when it goes live in the new year. This ensures you get the best possible exam experience and will also receive immediate pass or fail scores at the end of the exam. This is not the case with the Beta, whereby you are not told if you passed or failed, let alone the percentage scored!

How do I get my company ready for the MB-800 Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Exam?

It is wise to start planning your team’s readiness as attaining and maintaining the certification will become a regular feature of the Business Central Channel. Your competitors will also use MB-800 certifications to prove they have a variety of resources certified. You need to think about how you respond to a prospect who demands evidence that your whole consulting troops are in possession of this “badge”! You can find more information here on the Microsoft Learn site.

How can I prepare my consultants for this MB 800 Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Exam?

For Microsoft resellers, we have designed a special program to prepare your team for this exam: the MB-800 Core Specialist Program – Exam Preparation Pack (1 student) . You find more info here on our training overview. 

To give your consulting team a head start and to allow them to make use of this time to prepare, we have arranged a special promo: MB-800 Core Specialist Program – Exam Preparation Pack (5 students). This special offer is ideal for those with bigger consulting teams, allowing you to prepare 5 consultants with a special discount of 33.33% on RRP. This promo is active until 31 December 2020.

More information on how you can prepare for this exam, you can watch in our video on our YouTube channel:

 

Dynamics 365 Update Webcast 25 June 2020

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This series of webcasts is intended to share the latest information on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and related ISV solutions, both from a technical, functional and business perspective.
And along the year we will keep you informed about the latest news from Microsoft biggest events like Inspire, Directions ASIA, North America and EMEA.

Topics – 25 June 2020

Part 1: Dynamics 365 Business Central Update
Dynamics 365 Business Central Update (13 Minutes)

Part 2: Dynamics 365 Update
Dynamics 365 Update (12 Minutes)

Part 3: ForNav a quick demo
ForNav a quick demo (7 Minutes)

Dynamics 365 Update Webcast

Dynamics 365 Update Webcast

Dynamics 365 and Power Platform licensing model explained

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Get the latest insights from Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM

This series of webcasts is intended to share the latest information on Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM, both from a technical, functional and business perspective.

In this webcast, we present in just 60 minutes the most important updates around licensing and pricing of Dynamics 365 CRM and Power Platform.

Dynamics 365 CRM Update Webcast

Dynamics 365 Update Webcast

Dynamics 365 CRM Update Webcast 11 May 2020

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Get the latest insights from Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM

This series of webcasts is intended to share the latest information on Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM, both from a technical, functional and business perspective.

In this webcast, we present in just 45 minutes the most important updates form Microsoft Business Applications Summit 2020.

Dynamics 365 CRM Update Webcast

Dynamics 365 Update Webcast

Dynamics 365 Update Webcast 6 February 2020

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This series of webcasts is intended to share the latest information on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and related ISV solutions, both from a technical, functional and business perspective.
And along the year we will keep you informed about the latest news from Microsoft biggest events like Inspire, Directions ASIA, North America and EMEA.

Topics – 6 February 2020

Dynamics 365 Business Central Update
2020 Release Wave 1 Plan | What’s new for Business Central
Dynamics 365 Business Central Update – Recording (16 Minutes)

Binary Stream
ARED – A fully integrated solution for automating your complex revenue schedules at the line item level.
ARCB – Increase profitability and handle any complex billing scenario with Advanced Recurring Contract Billing.
Binary Stream – Recording (20 Minutes)
Read more about this solution

Business case the success of CloudBusiness of KUMAVISION
(Directions EMEA 2019 Award Winner)
Kuma365 Business Central Transition – Recording (12 Minutes)

Dynamics 365 Sales Update
Important: Team member License enforcement!
Dynamics 365 CRM Newsflash – Recording (10 Minutes)

Update on Dynamics 365 Business Central 27 August 2019

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This series of webinars is intended to share the latest information on Dynamics 365 Business Central. Both from a technical, functional and business perspective. Besides sharing information, we will also update on the services portfolio from QBS group to assist on the road to Dynamics 365.

Watch here the Webinar update of the 27th of August 2019.

Dynamics 365 Business Central Update

New Pricing for Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement & Unified Operations per the 1st of October 2019

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Microsoft announces new Pricing for Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement & Unified Operations, applicable from 1st October 2019

Two weeks before Inspire, Microsoft announced that all Dynamics 365 Plan subscriptions for Customer Engagement and Unified Operations will disappear from the price list as per 1st of October. In order to prepare you as quickly and effectively as possible, we would like to explain to you the changes to the new licensing model and the impact that this will have to you and your customers.

Impact: New customers for Customer Engagement and Unified Operations from 1st October

New customers can no longer order the current Dynamics 365 (CE and UO) Plan licenses from this date. The new “Base and Attach Licenses” model will apply from 1st October. Microsoft also calls the model “á la carte”.

In this new model, payment is based on usage per user per module. Every user always starts with a Base License. In addition, 1 or more additional modules can be added per user as an Attach License.

Almost all application licenses are available as a Base License and as an Attach License. Only Dynamics 365 for Marketing (licensed per tenant), Dynamics 365 for Project Service Automation and Talent are not available as an Attach License. For those modules, a user will therefore have to pay for a second Base License.

Nieuwe Prijzen Aan Voor Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement En Unified Operations Vanaf 1 Oktober 2019 Geldig

To make it concrete: A user who needs access to all Customer Engagement modules orders Dynamics 365 Project Service Automation as a Base License in this new model and adds the Sales Enterprise Edition, Customer Service Enterprise Edition and Field Service modules as Attach License to this. The total price for the user, in this case, is $ 155, consisting of the costs for the Base License $ 95, plus the 3 Attach Licenses of $ 20 each. The advantage for end customers: they only pay for the modules they use at that time. The price of 2 modules is the same as the current Customer Engagement Plan price.

In the current Unified Operations plan it is currently possible to order some modules such as Dynamics 365 for Talent or Retail as a stand-alone solution. Finance and Operations, however, has always been seen as a single module and since the introduction of the Unified Operations Plan module, that functionality could only be ordered through this composite plan. This will change after 1st October 2019.

As per October 2019 Finance and Supply Chain can be purchased as separate modules. The minimum requirement of 20 users remains applicable for both applications. Furthermore, all Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement modules can be added as an Attach License for the price of $ 20. Of course, again with the exception of Project Service Automation and Marketing, for which you always pay for a Base License.

Impact: Existing customers Customer Engagement and Unified Operations from October 1st

This change also has an impact on the current subscriptions of your existing customers, but not necessarily from October 2019.

The changes for existing customers only take effect on the subscription renewal date.

For example, if you ordered the licenses (with a standard duration of 12 months) on 1st November 2018, you must convert the licenses to this new model with Base Licenses and Attach Licenses before 1st November 2019.

We are still investigating whether this also has other (technical) implications in addition to an administrative act. We will certainly come back to that when we know more.

It is of vital importance that you approach your customers in reasonable time to inform them and discuss these changes. For subscriptions with a duration of 36 months you of course have some time left. You could consider ordering a new subscription for an existing customer with a term of 36 months and turning off the old subscriptions, if this would result in a more favourable price for a customer.

The transition SKUs from CRM Online to Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement plan, which according to communication from the transition paper on PartnerSource will remain available until October 31, 2019, is also unclear whether the latest order date will change. We are waiting for confirmation on this and will update you shortly.

As QBS group, we will keep you informed of all developments around the Dynamics 365 Licensing structure. For questions, please contact us via the Partner Portal. For additional details, you can also go to the Dynamics 365 licensing page in PartnerSource.

Source: FAQ new licensing structure Dynamics 365

Hot News from Microsoft Inspire 2019

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At QBS group we feel it is necessary to participate in all of the main Microsoft events: Microsoft Inspire, eXtreme and Directions, to ensure we can pass the relevant information on to you our partners, and also that we are the forefront of hot news! We participate not only as QBS people – but also as representatives of the entire QBS partner community. Speaking our case – and bringing back the news and information that we all need to keep on the forefront with our business.

Hot News From Inspire 2019
Watch the webinar Hot News from Inspire 2019 (video 30:00)

In this vlog we will present in 30 minutes the most important updates from Microsoft Inspire 2019.

  • Microsoft mission and innovations
  • PowerApps
  • Microsoft Field FY20 Priorities
  • Dynamics 365 Business Central Updates
  • Channel Incentives  and Channel Program
  • ISV and Marketplace

QBS goup YouTube channel

Watch our vlogs in our special Microsoft Inspire 2019 Playlist on our QBS group Youtube channel

Demo highlights at Microsoft Inspire 2019:

Demo: Empowering citizen developers with AI Builder at Microsoft Inspire 2019
Demo: Minecraft Earth at Microsoft Inspire 2019

PowerPoint

QBS group partners can download the presentation slides in the: QBS group partner portal.