As we enter 2010 together, I’d like to take a moment to thank all of you in our Microsoft Dynamics Community for your support, wish you Happy New Year and best of luck as we embark upon a new decade.  I also wanted to share some reflections of what we have just been through as well as our vision for the future of Microsoft’s business customers.

2009 was a trying year for many of us.  The worldwide economic meltdown had far reaching impact that certainly “reset” what doing business in the new economic realities meant.  For some it meant compromise – dialing back on expectations and goals; for others it meant opportunity – finding new ways of generating economic benefit.  Whether it’s the environment around us that forces us to adapt, whether it’s new business models, changes in the physical workforce, or globalization, change is something that we need to be vigilant about managing and all of us need to recognize the effect that change brings to today’s business mindset. 

And yet for all of us, through this imperative of change, there was learning that came with the tides of 2009 – learning that will forever shape our thinking and preparedness as we move into 2010 and beyond.  Although this learning was humbling and even harsh at times, we must take from it the ability to develop new muscles of agility and “dynamism” that are needed to adapt and evolve with our environment.  I use the word “dynamism” here intentionally – as it is a derivative of the word Dynamic – a word that is both a part of our brand, as well as our vision of “Dynamic Business”.  If you look up the word Dynamic on dictionary.com, you will find the following:

pertaining to or characterized by energy or effective action; vigorously active or forceful; energetic 

As leaders, we cannot afford to accept change passively; we must always be “energetic” and “forceful” about seeking opportunity within it.  That is how we transform into Dynamic Businesses.  It’s a goal that every business on the planet aspires to and it’s one that can be elusive and challenging to attain. 

So where do we come in?  It’s no secret that business applications are an integral part of running an organization and, when used to their full potential, can enable us to exist in this desirable Dynamic state – a state where we can achieve breakthrough success.  I want to take a moment to briefly describe the three pillars of the Dynamic Business:

1. People – the lifeblood of an organization.  People will always be at the heart of everything that we do, it is through their individual unique qualities and strengths that success emerges.  Whether it’s the back office order processor, the field service agent, the factory shop floor worker, or even the CEO, hidden pockets of productivity can be unlocked via intuitive and familiar designs that provide a great user experience through the business solution.

2. Process – the backbone of business.  Every unit of execution in a business can be distilled into some kind of process.  It could be an order approval, an expense report submission, a workflow, the fact of the matter is that process is everywhere!  When it comes down to it, getting process right is a tough thing to do.  It’s a complex world that we live in and as businesses grow and change, things like agility and flexibility are highly important.  Processes need to be structured enough to enforce efficiency, while at the same time flexible enough to provide adaptability.  Again – effective usage of a business solution can truly enable the kind of agility that today’s businesses require.

3. Ecosystem – in today’s world we simply cannot exist on islands.  With the advent of the cloud especially, it’s increasingly becoming, to use a common phrase, a “small world”!  We are all connected to each other, whether it’s suppliers, distributors, vendors, manufacturers, partners, customers or anything in between, today’s business environment is one that that is highly interdependent.  Those connections are vital – and they require us to break free of an isolated inward focus and become “business extroverts”, seeking ways to improve these dependencies and relationships.  It’s about recognizing the connections that exist in the ecosystems that surround us and using technology to strengthen and maximize the value that those connections provide us. A modern business solution taking full advantage of the three Cs of Cloud, Collaboration techniques and Communities can help business reach the fourth C of ultimate Connectivity.

This is the essence of our vision and it defines both how we innovate and how we deliver solutions that help our customers maximize their business opportunity.  I share this with you because it is our charter to help Microsoft Dynamics customers embody the qualities of the Dynamic Business and it is something that you can expect us to hold true to as a guiding principle of all that we do.

In the coming months you’ll hear more about this vision, how it translates into deeper focus areas that drive our investments in products, and more.  I encourage you to stay active in our community, share your stories with us, and continue to learn more about The Dynamic Business. 

Thank you for being ambassadors for Microsoft Dynamics and Happy New Year everyone!

-- Kirill