Released on = May 1, 2006, 4:10 pm

Press Release Author = Alba Spectrum Group

Industry = Computers

Press Release Summary = Microsoft Dynamics or former Microsoft Business Solutions
products line, including Microsoft Dynamics GP - Great Plains, Microsoft Dynamics
CRM, Microsoft Dynamics AX - Axapta, Microsoft Dynamics NAV - Navision - is now on
the way to move to .Net platform

Press Release Body = Alba Spectrum Group, USA/Canada: 1-866-528-0577,
1-630-961-5918, Europe: +44 20 8123 2580, +45 36 96 55 20, Mexico: 52-55-535-04027,
Brazil: 55-11-3444-4949, help@albaspectrum.com skype: albaspectrum

Microsoft Dynamics or former Microsoft Business Solutions products line, including
Microsoft Dynamics GP - Great Plains, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Microsoft Dynamics AX
- Axapta, Microsoft Dynamics NAV - Navision - is now on the way to move to .Net
platform, this will mean that for the development community we should pay more and
more attention to Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services and probably deemphasize
Crystal Reports/Crystal Enterprise. At the same time Microsoft Business Solutions
reopened Great Plains Source Code program for MBS partner channel, this signals to
us that we need to rehabilitate old Great Plains/Microsoft Dexterity based tools:
ReportWriter, Microsoft Dexterity itself to customize Microsoft Dynamics GP
so-called "fat" client. Please read below "balanced" and "reasonably conservative"
Microsoft Great Plains / Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0 report design overview:

Let's first look at the advantages of using ReportWriter:
. Seamless integration with Great Plains forms - the most typical scenario - you
modify SOP_Long_Invoice_Form or SOP_Blank_Invoice_From and then print your invoices
with modified form - usually with your logo and changed formats and positions of the
fields
. Parameters Entry Forms. Each existing report (Reports section) has associated
parameters entry form.
Restrictions:
. No Cross-Modules links. You can not associate report with the tables from
non-related modules. For example you can not have Sales Order Processing (SOP) and
Purchase Order Processing data on the same report (you actually can - but you need
Dexterity programmer help)
. Custom Reports. You do not have parameters entry interface for your custom
reports, but you could use restrictions to restrict the selection. Custom reports
could be used to export data from Great Plains in text (and then Excel format)
Advanced ReportWriter programming
. Rw_ functions in Great Plains Dexterity. When you need cross-modules data on the
same report (Bill of Lading, which you could produce on the base of Picking List)
you need to move the report you want to customize into your custom DYNAMICS.DIC and
fill the gaps with RW_ functions - these are allowed to be placed on the report with
parameters
If ReportWriter doesn't do the job:
. Crystal Reports. Current version 8.0 and 8.5 (July 2005) are MS SQL Server based,
where Crystal Report could work at will and produce all the desired links - we
recommend you to base Crystal Report on SQL Stored Procedure or SQL View. You call
Crystal Report engine via Modifier/VBA - you need Customization Site Enabler
license. If you are on Great Plains Standard version: 7.5, or Great Plains
Dynamics/eEnterprise 7.0, 6.0, 5.5 or 5.0 Btrieve/Pervasive SQL/Ctree - you need to
install Pervasive SQL driver (or Faircomm driver for Ctree)

Please do not hesitate to call us: 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918, Europe: +44 20
8123 2580, +45 36 96 55 20, Mexico: 52-55-535-04027, help@albaspectrum.com or skype:
albaspectrum

About Alba Spectrum Technologies. Alba Spectrum Technologies is joint venture of
several IT and business consulting companies, now operating as single business
entity. We have local presence in the Houston, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San
Diego, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, Denver, Phoenix, New Orleans, Minneapolis, San
Francisco, LATAM & Brazil, Germany, Russia, South East Asia and Oceania. We believe
in the coexistence of Java (J2EE, EJB, Linux, Unix), Oracle and Microsoft (.Net, C#,
VB) platforms and systems and specialize in several product lines and cross platform
integration, customization, heterogeneous report design, plus we provide ERP/CRM
systems comparison and reviews, not being committed to just on MRP platform. We also
stake on XML cross-platform data interchange to be advanced in the coming decade.

Alba Spectrum Technologies websites:
http://www.albaspectrum.com
http://www.greatplains.com.mx
http://www.enterlogix.com.br
http://www.ronix-systems.de






Web Site = http://www.albaspectrum.com

Contact Details = Alba Spectrum Group, USA/Canada: 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918,
Europe: +44 20 8123 2580, +45 36 96 55 20, Mexico: 52-55-535-04027, Brazil:
55-11-3444-4949, help@albaspectrum.com skype: albaspectrum