Latest version of Great Plains ERP includes Microsoft Office look-and-feel interface, delivers rich enhancements and expanded features for increased productivity and improved efficiency
Dubai, 6th September 2004: Microsoft Business Solutions today announced the availability of Microsoft Business Solutions-Great Plains 8.0 in the Middle East. The Microsoft Great Plains 8.0 financial management solution delivers improved usability; richer functionality, improved analytics and greater capabilities in addition to integration with Microsoft Business Solutions Business Portal 2.5 and Microsoft Office 2003, making it the most powerful and fully featured version yet.
"With over 120 enhancements, customers will realize enormous value from Microsoft Great Plains 8.0," said Soha Kamal, Regional Products Group Manager, Microsoft Business Solutions. "We are committed to delivering solutions that meet the needs of our customers, now and in the future, and Microsoft Great Plains 8.0 draws on customer feedback to create the best possible solution for businesses in the Middle East."
Microsoft Great Plains already has a proven track record in the Middle East, with a broad customer base that has relied on the product to manage their business operations for over five years. A large number of leading public and private sector organizations in the region use Microsoft Great Plains, across a number of industry segments, including high profile companies such as Caltex, the League of Arab States, Kuwait Airways, Abu Dhabi Securities Market, Dubai World Trade Center, and the Prince Sultan Humanitarian City in Saudi Arabia
The market for ERP solutions in the Middle East is expanding rapidly, and is predicted to be worth $110 million this year for the GCC, and approximately $141 million for the wider Middle East and North Africa region, according to analyst company IDC. Because Great Plains has been specifically designed to meet the needs of the mid-market, and through the strength of the regional partner network, Microsoft believes it is well positioned to capitalize on this growing market.
"Companies across the region are finding that they need a powerful integrated management solution, and that they can no longer get by with just an accounting package. Microsoft's strong network of partners, and the level of familiarity that customers have with Microsoft's products and brand have made Microsoft Great Plains a success, and we expect the new version 8.0 to build and expand on this success," said Joe Devassy, SMS&P Manager, Microsoft corporation.
Microsoft Great Plains 8.0 includes a new interface that has been modeled on Microsoft Office Outlook 2003, to help make it easier to use, and faster and less costly to train employees on. The solution also has more powerful accounting tools, as well as enhanced inventory for distribution and manufacturing processes features that will give customers tighter control over their business and their processes. This makes Microsoft Great Plains ideally suited to businesses in the region.
Enhanced integration with other Microsoft applications such as Microsoft Business Solutions Business Portal and Microsoft Office is an additional key feature of Microsoft Great Plains 8.0. Microsoft Business Portal 2.5, used with Microsoft Great Plains 8.0, will further empower employees with new self-service modules for online requisition management, expense entry and approval, and electronic delivery of sales documents to customers.
Microsoft Great Plains 8.0 also builds on the Office productivity foundation, enabling users to build template-based communications in Word or easily attach maps and directions for sales, delivery and service call routes with Microsoft MapPoint. New functionalities for public sector organizations are also included to provide better management of funds and grants and other public sector procedures.
The enhanced reporting options provide businesses with greater control of the financial reporting process and better financial visibility through Microsoft Business Solutions for Analytics-FRx 6.7. The improved analytics functionality gives customers four major enhancements: a new FRx Report Manager module, improvements to the FRx Currency Translation module, tighter integration with Microsoft Office Excel 2003, and upgraded support for the eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) 2.0 taxonomy.
"The new features and integration in Microsoft Great Plains 8.0 make this the most powerful solution that a business in the Middle East can deploy, as well as one of the most cost-effective. Microsoft Great Plains 8.0 delivers a firm commitment to support innovation and growth. Businesses using Microsoft Great Plains can rest assured their investment will be recognized and rewarded with a solution that continues to add value as their business changes and grows," Kamal added.
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About Microsoft Business Solutions
Microsoft Business Solutions offers integrated business applications and services that allow small and midsize organizations and divisions of large enterprises to connect employees, customers and suppliers for improved efficiency. The financial management, customer relationship management, supply chain management and analytics applications work with Microsoft products such as Office and Windows to streamline processes across an entire organization, giving businesses insight to respond rapidly, plan strategically and execute quickly. Microsoft Business Solutions applications are delivered through a worldwide network of channel partners that provide specialized services and local support tailored to a company's needs.
About Microsoft Corporation
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software - any time, any place and on any device. Microsoft opened its Dubai-based Middle East office in 1991. Microsoft today has five subsidiaries in the Middle East region: Microsoft South Gulf which oversees Microsoft activities in the UAE, Oman, Yemen and Pakistan, Microsoft North Gulf which oversees Microsoft activities in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, Microsoft Arabia covering the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Microsoft East Med covering, Lebanon, Jordan, Cyprus and Malta and Microsoft Egypt. Microsoft Corporation's address on the World Wide Web is: www.microsoft.com Microsoft Middle East's Web site is: www.microsoft.com/middleeast
For further information contact:
Microsoft contact:
Haider Saloum
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tel: 00-9714-3917000
Fax: 00-9714-3917001
Media contact:
Mark Sutton
ASDA'A Public Relations
Tel: 00-9714-3344550
Fax: 00-9714-3344556
Email: m.sutton@asdaa.com
© Press Release 2004
