Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Taking Dynamics to Mobile

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is beginning to find some competition in the enterprise space, first from Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) in cloud computing and storage, and from Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ:BBRY) with its new Z10 handsets and their improved security of business files. With these challenges coming from two directions, Microsoft is recognizing that it needs to improve its enterprise tools to help the increasingly mobile work culture.

This week, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) quietly announced that it will be rolling out some tools in its Dynamics AX infrastructure onto mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Redmond, of course, claims that its tools work “first and best” on Windows tablets and Windows Phone-based smartphones. Dynamics director Kees Hertogh gave some details about this rollout in a blog post this week when he wrote, “Our goal is to make these application experiences personal for the user; social, allowing user to get help from your network in context of the task and provide an immersive experience that is engage and action oriented. … In line with our focus to simplify deployment of business applications we did not create an ‘overlay’ new application model for mobile or complex new middleware.”

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) intends to start this rollout with tools for expense management, time entry and approvals through the user’s mobile device in direct contact with the appropriate supervisor. These apps, which will be available for free later this year, will be available in the respective app store according to the OS being used, though the user would need appropriate licensing and the user’s employer must be current on a maintenance plan with Dynamics.

Let us know your thoughts about these tools in the comments section below. Are these tools that your mobile employees would use? Is Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) on the right track with enterprise?

DISCLOSURE: I own no positions in any stock mentioned.

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