Microsoft Officials Seek to Reassure Dynamics Users of Long-Term Commitment to NAV

The question is one that often comes up when users of Microsoft Dynamics NAV get together: How committed is Microsoft to the NAV application? A subset: Might NAV be absorbed by Dynamics AX?

The question came up again at the Town Hall general session of the Dynamics NAV User Group gathering, Forum 2010. According to Greg Goldkamp, a Microsoft marketing manager,  the question may  persist because of different perceptions users have of NAV and AX. Dynamics NAV has more of a partner orientation, while AX "is an industry platform," and has specific industry vertical packages.

Goldkamp added, "I don't think there is any concern of NAV going away."

Part of the insecurity might stem from the differences in the simultaneously occurring NAV and AX User Group conferences. The NAV UG session has less than 200 attendees, and the AX  User Group session ahs about 500 attendees.

Todd Bergeson, a Microsoft  Dynamics NAV product manager, attributed the issue to competitors. "Why does this question keep coming up? Our competitors can't develop four products going forward. All we can do is show the road map."

Andy Hafer, the director of the user groups, suggested the reason the NAV User Group has so many fewer attendees at its annual gathering than the AX User Group is that the NAV group hasn't been in existence as long as the AX User Group.