First Quarter 2001 ¥ Issue 11

a r e g u l a r b u s i n e s s i n f o r m a t i o n u p d a t e f r o m n a v i s i o n d a m g a a r d

The Dawn ofDominance:NavisionSoftware and DamgaardMerge

Joint CEOs, Preben Damgaard (left) with Jesper Balser (right).

The Dawn ofDominance:NavisionSoftware and DamgaardMerge

Table of Contents

3 NavisionDamgaard Partner News

•Navision Manufacturing is Like a Man on

Stilts – Lean and Vertical

•Navision Manufacturing Wins 100th Customer

•Damgaard Partners Attend COMPASS

•New Partners for Fourth Quarter 2000

4 Inside NavisionDamgaard

•Trade Show Calendar

•Moving into the Merger

5 NavisionDamgaard Worldwide

•A Conversation with Michael Graves and

Dennis Bruce

6 Add-On Guest Column &

Vendor Guest Column

•Navision and Matriks Doc: The Ideal Document

Management Solution for the Carlsberg

Foundation

•How Microsoft’s Acquisition of Great Plains

Affects NavisionDamgaard

By Microsoft

7-8 Case Study

•Habitat for Humanity

•Southfield Packaging

9 Tech Tip

•Scalability and Connectivity with the

Axapta AOS

10 Hot Topics

•Official Reaction To Microsoft’s Latest Purchase

By NavisionDamgaard, Denmark

Headquarters

•And The Winner Is . . .

11 Products & Programs

•What’s Your Most Important Asset?

Editor - Margie Driscoll

Contributors - Lynne Fantauzza, Susan Thompson, Stacey Gross,

Suzanne Scanlan, Janet Bogni, Randy Keith, Bill Moffett, Heather

Combe, Michael Graves, Dennis Bruce, Frederic Leridon, Jesper Theil

Hansen, Scot Stettler and Frederik Ottesen.

NavisionDamgaard World is a quarterly publication printed and designed byCMYK Solutions, Inc. in Atlanta, GA, expressly for Navision Software US, Inc.Text, photos, graphics, and/or any other material provided herein shall not bepublished, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributiondirectly or indirectly in any medium without the expressed written consent ofNavision Software US, Inc. Navision is a registered trademark of NavisionSoftware a/s. Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trade-marks of Microsoft Corporations in the United States and/or other countries.

©2001 NavisionDamgaard.

NavisionDamgaard 1-800-552-8478

www.navis iondamgaard.com

A Tale of Two CompaniesTwo months after the merger of Navision and Damgaard was

announced, I am still frequently asked by peers, analysts, and friends,

“So, how’s the merger going?”

The extent of my answer usually depends on the line of questioning

and how much detail is actually appropriate, but it always starts off the

same: “It’s going great...”

Mergers have never been, nor will they ever be, simple, and without stress. Ours was no exception. Even

with all the similarities between the companies, the process of bringing together two organizations full

of bright, proud, passionate people in an effort to form one stronger team, is hard work. Generally

speaking, however, combining these companies was made easier due to the fact that the philosophies

and the business models of Navision and Damgaard were strikingly similar. Both companies are 100%

dedicated to the philosophy of success through partnerships. Both companies have been engaged in

pursuing the mid-market for many years and are well respected as pioneers in business management

software solutions. And both companies have a solid reputation for quality, performance, and integrity.

Not many mergers in this business can display such a synergy of principle at the core of each of the

merging organizations.

From my viewpoint, the easiest task of all was the physical move, although my information systems

folks will surely take exception. More desks, more chairs, more phones, more cabling, more wiring, re-

route this thing, re-route that thing. But when the dust cleared, the office looks basically the same, just

with a lot more people in it.

By far, the most difficult part of a merger is taking care of the real assets of the company: PEOPLE.

Change causes stress. Mergers cause change. So, any Jethro can figure out that mergers cause stress,

lots of it. It starts from the minute the merger is announced. What does it all mean? Will I have a job?

Will I have a new boss? Will I have to move? What are the other people like?

For the record, let me say that all of us have put a stripe or two on our sleeves through this process.

Mistakes were made, but not many, and I am extremely proud of everyone in both US companies for the

professionalism, enthusiasm, and above all, support for the Company that all have shown throughout

the last several weeks. We have moved out of the phase of basic anticipation into the phase, which I call

“Cross-Appreciation.” We are all aggressively learning about each former company’s solutions and

technology. We are getting to know each other’s channel partners, and most importantly, we are all

becoming aware of one another as people.

Navision and Damgaard each had, and NavisionDamgaard now has, what most acknowledge as the

best business management software in the mid-market. As I watch our competition grasp for anything

they can use to try to slow this train down, I know they are hoping we mess up somewhere along the

way. Well, I’ve got some bad news for them: our balance sheet is stronger than ever because the

strength of our real assets increases with each day...

As always, I appreciate your continued support and welcome any comments or suggestions you may

have.

Randy Keith

L E T T E R F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T

2

N A V I S I O N D A M G A A R D P A R T N E R N E W S

New NavisionDamgaard U.S. Partners for Fourth Quarter 2000Price Data SystemsLouisville, KY

Pannell Kerr ForsterHouston, TX

Calder CompanyChattanooga, TN

Discovery Information SystemsOrlando, FL

iCepts Information SystemsRichmond, VA

ComputerworksJohnson City, TN

DSD Business SystemsSan Diego, CA

GRF ConsultingNew York, NY

Prime Time PartnersMendham, NJ

IMCMetairie, LA

Enterprise Network Technology Sols.Salt Lake City, UT

Moore Stephens AppleAkron, OH

3

Navision Manufacturing is Like a Man on Stilts – Lean and Vertical

Navision Manufacturing Wins 100th Customer

Damgaard Partners Attend COMPASS

Myers, Nissi & Company is a CertifiedNavision Manufacturing Solution Center thathas developed a vertical solution called Process800. Myers Nissi is experiencing great successwith this vertical solution, especially in the foodprocessing manufacturing segment, althoughtheir solution would work equally aswell in other processing industrysegments such as paper, plastics etc.Myers Nissi or one of the NSCsrepresenting their software, has soldthe Navision Manufacturing and Process 800Solution into such companies as DaVinciGourmet Ltd., Stonewall Kitchen and Joseph’s

Pasta. Rich Nissi was asked to be a guestspeaker and present Process 800 at theNorthwest Regional Food Show last month.Several other Navision Solution Centers acrossthe US have also expressed interest inrepresenting Myers Nissi’s solution.

The product used with this vertical, NavisionManufacturing, is committed to developing alean, agile manufacturing solution that allows

you to focus on your customers while solvingtoday’s needs. It recognizes that the traditionalERP solutions are not working in today’s fastpaced environments. The solution is to havededicated experts such as Navision SolutionCenters that can leverage their expertise by

extending the very specific verticalfunctionality needed by each differentindustry segment. This will result in a“lean” manufacturing solution thatallows you to easily implement the

continuous change needed to stay ahead of thecompetition. Call your Solution Center forinformation on other vertical solutions.

NavisionDamgaard US Reaches Sales Milestone

NavisionDamgaard US has made its 100th sale to a Navision Manufacturing

customer, Dirigo Spice, a seasoning manufacturer for the food industry.

“We are very pleased with our selection of Navision Manufacturing,” said

Adam Darack at Dirigo Spice. “After a four-year search for the right solution, we

feel confident that this software will meet our requirements and assist in

streamlining our manufacturing processes.”

Navision Manufacturing is a fully integrated solution with an easy-to-use

graphical interface that has earned the Designed for Microsoft Windows

NT/95, Designed for Microsoft Windows NT/98, Designed for Microsoft

BackOffice and Microsoft Office 97 Compatible logos. The product is available

through a network of more than 160 dedicated resellers across the country.

“Having launched this product just two years ago, we are proud to have

achieved this sales landmark in the United States,” said Randy Keith,

president, NavisionDamgaard US. “This success is a testament to our

products and the people behind it, especially our Navision Solution Center,

Myers, Nissi & Company.”

“The Navision Manufacturing product is a fantastic foundation for our Process

800 system which is used by food and chemical manufacturers such as Dirigo

Spice,” said Richard Nissi, president of the Navision Solution Center. “And

with the multitude of specifications necessary in the process industry, we were

able to mold a solution that exactly fit their needs.”

COMPASS 2001 was a huge success with over 100 attendees gathered atthe Marietta Conference Center and Resort, January 28-30, in Marietta,Georgia. Attendees enjoyed presentations by Erik Damgaard, Randy Keith,John Frederiksen, Carlton Collins of K2 Enterprises and Frederic Leridon ofMicrosoft, to name a few. The topics ranged from the future of the mergedcompany to the new features in Axapta version 2.5. The Business Partnersbegan the conference with anticipation and many questions, but by the endof the day Tuesday, everyone was ready to get back to work with renewedenthusiasm and hope for the future.

“COMPASS 2001 not only provided us a great platform to share with ourbusiness partners the many new and exciting opportunities Axapta 2.50offers, but it also allowed us to share our plans for the newly consolidatedcompany.

In this respect, the timing for COMPASS was perfect,” reflected Bill Sanders,Director of Product Operations.

“We were able to convey how we will be able to immediately leverage thestrengths of both companies to become an even stronger player in themarket. Without exception, the partners that I talked to were extremelyexcited about the future of NavisionDamgaard,” Sanders explained.

Geni Whitehouse, Director, Product Marketing and Strategic Alliances,remarked, “I was very impressed with the channel partners and theircommitment to the Axapta product. Product Marketing is looking forwardto assisting them in their efforts to gain additional exposure for Axapta.”

I N S I D E N A V I S I O N D A M G A A R D

4

2001 Trade Show Calendar

2/28-3/1

3/5-8

4/10-11

Softworld Accounting & Finance – Sheraton Gateway Hotel – Los Angeles, CA

National Manufacturing Week – McCormick Place – Chicago, IL

Softworld Supply Chain – World Trade Center – Boston, MA

CFO Rising – Hilton Hotel – Atlanta, GA 4/24-26

As of February 2001

www.navision-us.com

NavisionDamgaard US operations have been successfully merged

and are now running out of the former Navision Software office in

Duluth, Georgia.

As of January 15th, all NavisionDamgaard US employees were working

in the same facility so the new company could begin to take

advantage of the opportunities that both companies bring to each

other. Meeting room space is at a minimum as newly formed

departments meet on how to best serve customers, prospects and the

channel.

“The merger process, while certainly involving some stress typical of

all mergers, has gone very smoothly,” said Randy Keith, President of

NavisionDamgaard US. “We are ready to get back to business and

start making some real noise as the newly merged company.”

Moving into the Merger

Check out our web site to find a NavisionDamgaard partner at a trade show near you.

The NavisionDamgaard U.S. Office in Duluth, Georgia

A Conversation with Michael Graves and Dennis Bruce

What were your initial thoughts about

merging with a long time rival company?

[Michael Graves, Director of Sales] It was ashock and very unexpected. I started atDamgaard in 1992, introducing the ConcordeXAL product and building up a professionalchannel of Damgaard Business Partners. Inthose days, our enemy number one wasNavision and we had to do whatever we couldto win business, like recruit partners. Our first,maybe our only, white paper was on “sellingagainst” Navision products. We would rathergive away software than lose to Navision. I amsure the Navision people felt the same way.Being in the US for 3 years now, I have gottenaway from the rivalry and the enemy picturehas changed to other products. However, I stillenjoyed recruiting Navision partners andwinning business from Navision.

[Dennis Bruce, Territory Channel

Manager/Southeast] Since I’ve only beenwith Damgaard while they’ve been in theStates, I only had the competitive attitudetoward Navision when we were competingdirectly against them in specific salessituations. When I work directly with myDanish colleagues, here and in Denmark, youcan feel the level of competition come out intheir conversations. It reminds me of the RedSox/Yankees rivalry. Although it’s not ashistoric, it did have the same level ofcompassion in beating each other.

What can Damgaard and Navision

customers expect from the merger?

[Michael Graves] The customers can expect avery powerful partner who will always look atcustomer needs. Through our indirectbusiness model of certified Solution Centersand Business Partners, an army of skilledpeople has the local knowledge and customerrelationships that customers need wheninvesting in business critical software. Onething customers look at is the future of acompany and product. Both companies werefamous for putting a lot of time and moneyinto R & D. With the merger, we have createdone of the biggest software vendors in themarket and we now have more people andmore money to keep up with the stillincreasing demands from customers.

[Dennis Bruce] You’ll see a much strongercompany, both financially and from a solutionsstandpoint. Name one company in the mid-market space that can deliver the breadth ofsolutions that NavisionDamgaard brings tothe table. Also, take a look at the financialstatements of our competitors and compare to

ours. It’s one thing to have a great product butif you’re not around a year from now tosupport it, why would you buy it? Whenprospects look at the many vendors they haveto choose from in the mid-market, they’ll see alot of companies whose financial situationleaves room for interpretation regarding theirexistence. I tell all the Business Partnersselling Axapta to make the financial health ofthe vendors an issue. It is a strong point forNavisionDamgaard.

What did you think when you heard about

Great Plains and Microsoft merging?

[Michael Graves] At first, you get concerned.After all, Microsoft is not someone you wantas your competitor, but when you think aboutit and who MS is and what their mission is,you understand MS, the market leader intechnology, wants to have a good relationshipwith all products based on their technology.Both Navision and Damgaard have had verygood and long-term relationships with MS andit would be stupid for all parties if that were togo away. I truly believe we will see a movefrom MS and Great Plains in 2001, but GP hasa history with MS that hasn’t been very good,and we all know what problems MS has hadwith acquisitions in the past.

[Dennis Bruce] I had a different take on it. Iused to work at PeopleSoft before I came toDamgaard. In every deal I was in, it wasPeopleSoft, SAP and Oracle. That was thecompetition. Although a lot of our dealsincluded Oracle as the database of choice, wenever worried about Oracle pulling supportout from under us. We sold too manydatabases for them. That might beoversimplifying the situation but it’s still amatter of selling software. The only thing thisdoes is give MS the potential of selling GPsoftware at a cheaper price or bundling it withother solutions. Being the cheapest solutiondoesn’t always buy you market share. If thatwere the case, SAP wouldn’t be as big as theyare now. They are by no means a cheapsolution, but they sell a ton of software.

You’re both “transplanted” Georgians;

Michael from Denmark and Dennis from

Boston, Mass. What do you think of life in

Atlanta?

[Michael Graves] I have been here for 3 yearsnow and yes, it is very different from Denmark.The first thing people focus on here is theweather. The weather here is terrible. Not thatI don’t like the sun, I love it, but spring and fallare the only two seasons of the year whereyou can enjoy the weather. But that is when

everybody is working and has no time to enjoyit. However, the weather is not the mostimportant thing for me – the people are. I amvery surprised how friendly and open peopleare, especially if you are European. Peoplewant to meet you, to invite you to things or totalk to you about everything. Danes are notlike that. We tend to keep things a little moreprivate and select our friends more carefully.The best way to describe it would be the waywe live. In Denmark, we all have fences aroundour houses; in Atlanta, nobody has fencesaround their houses. One last funny thing isthe front yards. In Atlanta, the front yard iseverything; it has to look good. We are used tousing our lawns and enjoying them, not justusing them for display. I could go on but...

[Dennis Bruce] I moved here in October 1995and one of the first things I did was drive toHilton Head to get near the ocean. UnlikeMichael, I like the hot weather, but I reallymiss the ocean. The weird thing for me is howspread out everything is. In Boston, you canget a cab and be anywhere in the city for lessthan $10. In Atlanta, the meter starts at $10when you get in the cab. The other interestingnote is when people learn I’m fromMassachusetts, they like to mention myaccent (only 25 letters in the alphabet) andhow crazy the drivers are in the north. I’ll givethem the accent, but if you’ve ever driven onInterstate 285, you realize that NASCAR wasdefinitely born in the south. And no, I don’tpark the car in “Harvard yard.”

N a v i s i o n D a m g a a r d W o r l d w i d e

5

Left: Michael Graves Right: Dennis Bruce

Meet our new Director of Sales and Territory Channel Manager of the Southeast.

V E N D O R G U E S T C O L U M N

The Carlsberg Foundation needed a more

robust method of effectively managing their

distinct administration needs. Before reaching

their decision, The Foundation appointed

PricewaterhouseCoopers to conduct a

comprehensive analysis of their systems. The

assessment revealed that Navision Software

and Matriks Doc were the ideal solution for The

Carlsberg Foundation’s expanding system

requirements.

According to Niels Chr. Roelsen, Vice President

of The Carlsberg Foundation, “The

implementation of Navision Software and

Matriks Doc was seamless. All data from the

last 10 years was converted to the new system.

We feared that our work would be affected by

the implementation, but soon realized our fears

were unfounded. We have not had any

considerable problems, and our production has

continued to run during the implementation.”

With customization by SystemPartner (a Danish

Navision Solution Center), the Navision and

Matriks Doc systems have successfully

improved daily operations for the Foundation.

“SystemPartner solved the problem in the best

way, and we now have a solution that I am

confident in recommending to others in the

same situation,” Roelsen said.

The Foundation now has the ability to

formulate statistics in all areas of their system.

Additionally, Navision with Matriks Doc, allows

for document tracking and merging, which are

compression and file integration features that

further enhance cost and operational

efficiencies for the Foundation.

“Administration of our many applications is

now progressing according to schedule. We are

very pleased with our solution,” Roelsen

stated.

The Foundation continues to work with

SystemPartner to proactively resolve issues,

widen solutions and customize critical

functional elements within their Navision

Software and Matriks Doc systems and they

expect the solution to carry them through the

next decade.

For more information about this add-on, please

contact your NavisionDamgaard Partner.

Navision and Matriks Doc: The Ideal Document

Management Solution for The Carlsberg Foundation

A D D - O N G U E S T C O L U M N

6

How Microsoft’s Acquisition of Great Plains Affects NavisionDamgaard

Dear Friends:

My name is Frédéric Leridon and I am the Business Alliance Partner Manager for NavisionDamgaard, based at the Denmark headquarters.

I believe this announcement will not change the relationship with NavisionDamgaard in the coming years. The demand for richer solutionsfor the enterprise has never been so strong and the technology to make it possible was never before so easy to implement. There is a lotof space for plenty of accounting and ERP solutions on the market, built on Microsoft technology.

We will continue to support NavisionDamgaard development teams in their effort to develop the latest Microsoft technology. The bestproof is that NavisionDamgaard is one of the only 30 worldwide ISV members of the .NET ISV program and is one of the core teammembers of UDDI organization.

We are finalizing our business plan for NavisionDamgaard and Microsoft will continue to help NavisionDamgaard generate new business.

If you have any questions, please contact me at fredleri@microsoft.com.

Frédéric Leridon Business Alliance Partner Manager for NavisionDamgaard Enterprise and Partner group Microsoft EMEA HQ

By Microsoft

Navision Financial Analyst Builds Reports So Habitat for Humanity Can Build Homes

Successful non-profit organizations focus onmaking the world a better place for all of us tolive. That is literally a truism in the case ofHabitat for Humanity International (HFHI)whose mission is to build homes for those inneed of shelter throughout the world. Success

can be a two-edge sword in the realm of not-for-profit agencies when the fund-raisingefforts create the need for distribution,tracking, and reporting of hundreds of funds.Such is the case at the administrativeheadquarters of the worldwide benevolentorganization in Americus, Georgia, whereNavision Financial Analyst software hashelped to simplify the process from theController’s office to the mailroom.

Habitat for Humanity has more than 1500local affiliates in 74 countries, and eachaffiliate maintains autonomous control overits activities. The sole purpose of theorganization is to build homes for people whoneed them – people who demonstratewillingness to help build their own home, orprovide “sweat equity,” and have the ability torepay the mortgage without interest over aperiod of years.

The Challenge

The headquarters in Americus coordinatesand supports the affiliates through volunteertraining and the distribution of funds thathave been directed to HFHI, either throughcontributions, gifts-in-kind, annuities, or otherdonations. Because of the various types ofcontributions it receives, the organization hasseveral hundred funds from which cash isdistributed to its affiliates throughout theworld. Tracking these funds can be acumbersome task; many contributions comewith stipulations regarding allocation,timelines, etc.

Jim Mellott is the Manager of FinancialPlanning and Analysis for HFHI and isresponsible for the tracking and reporting ofthe various funds.

“In addition to managing all of the differentrestrictive funds our organization manages,we also have a payroll of over 1000 staffmembers, other administrative functions ofrunning a business, plus the reportingrequirements specific to non-profits,” Mellottsays.

Mellott uses Navision Financial Analyst totrack the budgets across more than 100various departments throughout theorganization. Each month, he generatesbudget reports for each department.Expenses for a non-profit group must becategorized as related to programs, fund-raising or administrative costs, and severaldepartments cross categories.

The Solution

According to Ed Jelen, President of BusinessManagement Software of Atlanta, Georgia, theNavision Solution Center that has beenworking with HFHI, Habitat would compile andmail out almost 200 reports to its affiliatesand regional offices around the world. WithNavision Financial Analyst, users can nowlogin to the NT server and access the reports,which are separate from the Navisiondatabase. Additionally, the reports providedrill-down ability so users can view detail ofthe expenses listed.

“Habitat for Humanity has unique time andexpense reporting requirements,” Jelen said.“They need extensive expense reports thatcan be distributed. The server login and drill-down capabilities of Financial Analyst haveeliminated the phone calls and questionsabout report details to the Controller’s office.”

The Results

For the first time in 1999, Financial Analystenabled HFHI to create a spreadsheetshowing account history going back severalperiods. Mellott is excited about thiscapability because it enables users to logintheir numbers every month and keep arunning history in one workbook. This enablesevery department to easily develop

projections by looking at its history.

“With our previous software, we had to exportour reports to Excel in order to print them out.Without exaggeration, this would take threepeople a full day to get the reports out eachmonth. That makes our job a lot easier,” saidMellott. Financial Analyst pulls data from theaccounting books and works seamlesslywithin Excel. He states that today, it takes oneperson about two hours to process theinformation and distribute the reports.

In addition, “all of our offices worldwide cannow receive an e-mail with an Excel fileattached, which they can open andmanipulate themselves.”

In the non-profit world, the balance sheet and

income statement are not standard formats,

and therefore Mellott does not generate those

reports using Navision Financials. However,

Mellott “foresees eventually using Financial

Analyst for all our reports.”

“Our organization has grown rapidly each year

for the last 25 years,” said Mellott. “With that

type of growth, we needed a program that

would grow with us, or at least keep up with

our needs for a longer period of time. We

believe that Navision has the product, and the

commitment, to work with us for many years

to come.”

The benefits for HFHI are numerous: the

elimination of phone calls and questions to

the Controller’s office, the reduction of staff

time in compiling and distributing reports, and

the cost savings in man-hours and postage to

mail out the monthly reports. Navision

Financial Analyst makes administrative

functions easier and more cost-effective so

the donations received by the organization

can be used directly in accomplishment of its

mission – to build homes for people around

the world.

C A S E S T U D Y

7

Business Management Software, Inc.

Damgaard Axapta Helps Double Revenue for Southfield Packaging

Company Profile

Southfield Packaging Inc. is a contract

packager based in Stamford, Connecticut.

In the past 17 years, Southfield Packaging

has expanded its client list to include

some of the nation’s leading hair care,

cosmetics, and health and beauty aid

manufacturers. The company established

itself by providing packaging for the short-

term promotional items that are not cost-

effective for these large companies to

handle in-house. And their shipping

affiliations enable them to provide

transportation of goods across the entire

Northeastern Seaboard, from

Pennsylvania to Maine.

Situation

Southfield Packaging was using a FoxPro-

based program created in-house,

requiring them to create their own

shipping document and invoice. They

could manage their inventory, but it wasn’t

linked to their financials and the

processing of billing and purchase orders

was completely separate from the MRP.

Southfield Packaging was looking for an

MRP application that reflected the

flexibility and integration that had been so

key to the success of their packaging

business.

Business Solution

Caliber Solutions, a Damgaard Business

Partner, introduced Southfield Packaging

to the Axapta application. They worked

closely with Southfield’s accountants to

customize the financial integration with

the manufacturing and inventory systems.

With the Axapta program’s user-friendly

functionality, training of the production

and accounting staff was a smooth

transition.

Benefits

With every process at Southfield

Packaging integrated into one system, the

company is enjoying the benefits of the

functionality the Axapta solution provides.

From a purchase order and fulfillment

standpoint, Southfield expects to cut its

costs in half. Accounts receivable and

accounts payable are handled in one step,

saving a great deal of time and ultimately,

money. In fact, Melfi reports that since

implementing the Axapta solution,

Southfield has doubled its revenue –

without adding to its administrative costs.

There is also greater control over the

purchasing process because Axapta has

helped establish a uniform corporate

purchasing policy. They are able to track

their MRP process and monitor each job’s

progress. Now, with the ability to compare

estimated versus real cost as the project

moves ahead, the Axapta solution

ultimately helps Southfield better serve

their clients.

Caliber Solutions President, Einar Ulfsson,

believed that the Axapta application could

provide the elements that Southfield

needed in an integrated enterprise

application. “The Axapta solution is

brilliant when it comes to the new master

planning module,” explains Ulfsson. “It is

among the strongest master planning

functionalities you’ll ever see.”

C A S E S T U D Y

8

Warehouse

Packing

Shipping

T E C H T I P

Axapta Object Server (AOS) is the center of the advanced

3-tier client/server environment for Axapta. The

advantages of a 3-tier environment are: handling access

to the database and execution of data-centric code

separately, which provides better access to application

resources, and the

execution of application

logic, while reducing the

load on the client. The

bottom line is performance

increases.

In addition, Axapta’s AOS

offers state-of-the-art

scalability. AOS is the

server technology making it

possible to explore

Enterprise computing in

distributed environments

with a multitude of different

clients (Thin, C/S, Browser),

as well as different network

configurations (LAN, WAN

and Internet).

Unique concepts in

Axapta’s AOS solution

make it possible to create

an environment where

clients with different hardware potential (clock speed,

network, memory, etc.) each benefit from the AOS

architecture. This enables dedicated client machinery,

with high bandwidth, the option to access the SQL

Database directly while still allowing other clients to run

as “thin” clients with the AOS executing business logic for

each user.

One Windows NT Server can run multiple AOS’ instances

and thereby, servicing clients with multiple applications.

Different options are available, each having its own

benefits for improved maintenance, performance,

scalability, and reliability.

Scalability and Connectivity with the Axapta AOS

TE

CH

TIP

KE

EP

&

SA

VE

9

Load Sharing Object Server (Parallel Object Servers / Clustering)

The AOS allows others to access the application object

database (AOD). This allows you to have multiple AOS’

(on different Windows NT Servers) servicing the same,

network-shared application, and accessing the same data

on the SQL server. You

can improve scalability

by allowing a number

of Object Servers to be

used in parallel. Using

the Load Balanced

Client Connect feature

of Axapta, the client

sessions will be

distributed over any

available servers when

a client logs in. In such

an installation, even

servers of different

capacity can

cooperate, to provide

better service and

performance. For

further options, the

Axapta Object Server

can be combined with

Windows NT Cluster

Servers to provide

load balancing, fail-safe ability and extended security

against system outage.

NavisionDamgaard offers a wide range of toolkits,

utilities and reports to calculate, measure and optimize

each AOS implementation. For information on specific

topics in this area, please contact your

NavisionDamgaard representative.

More information on the Axapta Object Server

can be found at www.navisiondamgaard.com

o r o n t h e N a v i s o n D a m g a a r d T e c h n e t a t

http://technet.damgaard.com

Official Reaction To Microsoft’s Latest Purchase

And The Winner Is...

H O T T O P I C S

10

When you think of Technology Pacesetters, whom do you think of?

Accounting Today has chosen 78 firms as the 2000 Technology

Pacesetters. The Technology Pacesetters are total solutions

providers who are dedicated in

keeping up with new technologies,

costs of technology, staffing,

service and education of their

clients, and have proven they are

on the forefront of our industry.

Of these 78, there are four Navision Solution Centers who have

proven themselves truly professional, successful, and innovative in

the technology industry. Aston Group North America, Beck

Consulting, BMI (a 1999 Technology Pacesetter) and Finley & Cook,

PLLC, a new NSC, have all been chosen for the 2000 Accounting

Today Technology Pacesetters.

Let’s congratulate these NSC’s

for this great accomplishment.

We look forward to seeing more

Navision Solution Centers and

Damgaard Business Partners on the list for Accounting Today’s 2001

Technology Pacesetters!

TECHNOLOGYPACESETTERS

THE 2000 ACCOUNTING TODAY

Q: How does the Microsoft acquisition of

Great Plains impact NavisionDamgaard?

NavisionDamgaard: It is likely that this news

will increase general market awareness of

business management solutions for the mid-

market. Microsoft has a big impact in the

software industry and their move into our

market will highlight the mid-market. Obviously,

Microsoft will become more aware, from an in-

house perspective, of the special needs of mid-

sized companies.

Q: How does this impact

NavisionDamgaard’s market situation?

ND: Some may see the acquisition as a

negative for NavisionDamgaard based on

Microsoft’s current sales network. In fact, this

event further solidifies the NavisionDamgaard

100% indirect channel model, which offers

consumers the opportunity to work with

tremendously talented local NSCs and Business

Partners that understand their businesses and

can provide incredibly customizable solutions.

This business approach is just the opposite of

Microsoft’s intent to provide business

management “canned” solutions directly to

small and mid-sized companies.

Q: NavisionDamgaard is heavily

dependent on Microsoft’s technology. Will this

acquisition change NavisionDamgaard’s

technology strategy?

ND: No. It has always been, and it will continue

to be, NavisionDamgaard’s strategy to develop

solutions for the platform of our customer’s

choice. Our partnership with Microsoft will

enable us to continue developing our products

on Microsoft technology as it represents the

biggest market opportunity. In fact,

NavisionDamgaard is one of only six selected

Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) world-

wide that are Gold Certified. T0 be selected as

a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner for Software

Products, NavisionDamgaard had to meet

rigorous certification requirements as well as

prove their expertise in a given solution area by

providing real-world customer references.

Q: Will NavisionDamgaard continue to

have access to Microsoft technologies?

ND: NavisionDamgaard will continue to provide

premier mid-market solutions utilizing

Microsoft technologies. The relationship

between Microsoft and NavisionDamgaard will

evolve and flourish as we continue to work

together in initiatives such as .NET, XBRL,

BizTalk, and the UDDI organization.

By NavisionDamgaard, Denmark Headquarters

What's Your Most Important Asset?

11

P R O D U C T S A N D P R O G R A M S

Your employees are one of your

company’s greatest assets – their

productivity or lack of it can make or

break you. They need to be more efficient

and to make the right business decisions.

The last thing you want is a complicated

software system that slows down

employees and grinds your business to a

halt.

Increase Employee Productivity

You’ve probably heard that claim before,

right? But what if it were true? What if

there was a solution that not only helped

employees become more efficient but

also empowered them to make better

business decisions?

With User Portal, you can create a

personal portal for each employee. The

Portal, with links, can be set up to all of

the Web sites that your employees use

most frequently and be combined with

the business information that they need

in Navision Financials – all on one page!

And no matter where they are in the

world, they can always access Navision

Financials – anytime,

anywhere – as long

as they have access

to a Microsoft

Internet browser.

B e t t e r - D e c i s i o n

Making Capability

With User Portal,

employees have easy

access to all of the

information that

supports the roles

they have in your

organization. For

example, when a sales representative

needs information on customer

accounts and sales history, he or

she can easily access the relevant

and up-to-date information in

Sales and Receivables from their

User Portal.

The result: Employees have more

time to analyze data and are

equipped with the right

information to solve problems,

answer questions and make

smarter decisions faster.

Improved Efficiency

It’s easy for employees to access data in

Navision Financials, no matter where

they’re working in User Portal. Remote

users, such as traveling sales

representatives, can immediately access

their personal homepage. All that’s

needed is access to a Microsoft browser.

Employees will have a desktop work

environment with multiple views into, for

instance, their Navision solution,

Microsoft Outlook and the Internet. It’s all

on one screen, on one page, so

employees always work in the same

interface and never have to switch

programs.

Cost Effective Deployment

Like all Navision solutions, User Portal

has been developed with the user in mind

so that it’s both intuitive and simple to

use. Not only do you save on training

costs, your employees can start working

immediately.

Ask Your Navision Solution Center

To learn more about User Portal, contact

your local Navision Partner. They have the

expertise to design a solution that fits

your specific business needs.

Instantly increase productivity by giving users a single point of entry to all

the information they need to excel at their jobs.

User Portal makes it possible for workers to access

personalized data...all through a Microsoft Web browser.

No matter what business you’re in, no matter how big your company is, becoming “e” is

essential to staying competitive and quite soon, staying in business. But how do you take your

company from brick and mortar to the Web? It’s not as difficult as you might think. Navision

Web Shop, the e-business tool from Navision Software, integrates your back office processing

with Web ordering—the first step in getting your company online.

Web Shop lets you set up and maintain your storefront directly from Navision Financials,

Navision’s proven business management solution for mid-market businesses. No need to call

in a team of technical experts every time you want to add a new service or change a price. No

need to re-enter information from your web orders to your order processing system. Navision

Web Shop gives you an affordable, fast way to go online.

Navision Web Shop. Fast, affordable, integrated “e”.

Navision Software US, Inc.1-800-552-8478

www.navision-us.comwww.navision.ca

Get your business

online or this might

as well say “Bye Now.”