Microsoft Introduces Major ERP and CRM Incentive Offerings

REDMOND, Wash. — April 28, 2009 — Furthering an ongoing commitment to help businesses thrive in today’s economy, Microsoft Corp. today introduced three major incentive offerings.

The first is Business Ready Flexible Pay, which gives new Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM customers in the U.S. the option to purchase the solutions today but pay for them in equal payments over three years. Unlike financing offers that may have associated interest charges and application processes, this represents an opportunity for businesses to manage their budgets and drive business productivity with Microsoft Dynamics when they really need it. The Business Ready Flexible Pay initiative is one of many examples of how Microsoft is helping customers make strategic IT investments and realize rapid return on investment. While other vendors have significantly raised their maintenance fees over the past year, Microsoft has not only held its enhancement rates steady, but has also launched a number of money-saving offers, again raising the bar for customer services established earlier through Microsoft’s Business Ready Customer Care.

Second, in an effort to make it easier for companies to move from outdated and costly business applications to Microsoft’s modern ERP solutions, the company will make available a set of competitively focused offerings in the U.S. specifically targeted at customers who may not be receiving the levels of innovation that they expect from their current vendor. Starting in May, select partners will be able to extend their customers an offer to move to a Microsoft Dynamics ERP solution with a 50 percent discount on licensing, and receive a rebate equal to 25 percent of the suggested retail price of the Microsoft Dynamics solution (up to a maximum of $25,000) to help offset the costs of switching from Sage MAS 90 or MAS 200, or Oracle’s JD Edwards EnterpriseOne.

“We fundamentally saw Microsoft Dynamics AX as a game-changer for us versus Oracle JD Edwards,” said Scott Rollins, vice president and chief information officer of Flow International Corp. “Not only were we able to deploy a fully functional ERP in about half the normal time of other systems like JD Edwards, but Microsoft Dynamics AX gives us a platform that is significantly easier to innovate on. In addition, our analysis showed more than $5 million lower total cost of ownership over five years with Microsoft Dynamics AX versus JD Edwards EnterpriseOne.”

Third, Microsoft wants to make it even easier for its ERP customers and partners to expand their solutions to include industry-leading CRM, so now Microsoft Dynamics CRM can be purchased as a stand-alone product from Business Ready Licensing. This gives customers and partners worldwide the added flexibility to grow and extend their Microsoft Dynamics solution, and realize even greater business benefit. Microsoft Dynamics CRM continues to be available through Microsoft’s broad range of Volume Licensing programs.

More information about Microsoft’s Business Ready Flexible Pay initiative can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/purchase/offers-brfp.mspx.