Dynamics AX 2009 (formerly 5.0 née 4.5)

As Convergence 2008 approaches, details are staring to leak out about the next version of Dynamics. It looks like the long-anticipated 5.0 release is going to be chronologically renamed "2009". The good news is that the release date is still 2008 … the bad news is it seems to have slipped from "first half of 2008" to "summer 2008." This of course is a way of saying "3rd quarter" that doesn't sound as bad.

There are a few high-level features that make for great ad copy: better integration with office, role-tailored menus and business dashboards, and support for tfeL-ot-thgiR languages. IT departments, though, are still waiting to see the detailed features list – all the little things that don't sound impressive in a sales pitch, but that can make a business run better.

For those who have not yet made the jump to version 4, you'll be glad to hear this: A Microsoft project manager on the Dynamics AX team has promised that clients will be able to upgrade directly from 3.0 to 5.0. It was posted in Microsoft's public newsgroup for AX programming. I'm sure this does not qualify as an official announcement, but it is a good indication that there will be a path for customers on the earlier release.

I'll keep posting news as I come across it. Heard something interesting about 5.0 / 2009? Post it as a comment!