How Microsoft AppSource adds value | KPMG Crimsonwing
From KPMG Crimsonwing’s previous Dynamics 365 blogs, it should be clear that one of the biggest advantages of Microsoft Dynamics 365 (D365) is the seamless experience that it offers to organisations. Enterprise Resource Planning and Customer Relationship Management are now easily integrated with Power BI, Cortana Intelligence, Azure IoT Suite & so on and organisations also benefit from flexibility because they can start with the apps they require and add more as their needs evolve.
Microsoft AppSource forms part of the whole Dynamics 365 offering. AppSource was launched last year with the aim of delivering value on top of Microsoft solutions such as Power BI, CRM and ERP. This is done through the addition of SaaS (Software as a Service) apps, content packs and add-ons.
Microsoft AppSource
AppSource is a portal whereby Independent Software Providers (ISPs) list their SaaS apps, content packs or add-ons and organisations are able to find, trial and try these apps for free prior to taking any decisions. If an organisation believes that a specific app would add value to their processes, they can contact the partner directly from Microsoft’s portal to start discussions. It could also be that an organisation is not sure of how the app can add value or maybe that more information is required even after trying it out – in such cases an organisation can ask for a free demo. Really and truly, AppSource is a one stop shop!
It is interesting to mention that AppSource has been designed to focus on business requirements rather than products. This means that organisations can search for apps based on a problem they would like to solve or a need they have, rather than searching for the actual product. This is a fundamental shift in the approach and highlights a key message from Microsoft – it is not about ‘a product’ anymore, it is about an integrated ecosystem of cloud applications that work together to solve a business problem.
What does this mean?
Dynamics 365 for operations is optimised for different industries, such as manufacturing, IT, retail and financial services. However, it could be that there are specific processes that are not supported by Dynamics 365 for operations. This is a situation where AppSource is useful as organisations are able to source other apps that work seamlessly with Dynamics 365 for operations and that helps them to meet such additional requirements.
As part of Dynamics 365, Microsoft AppSource creates a wealth of opportunities that businesses can take advantage of. To recap, companies can enjoy the benefits of a seamless experience between all Microsoft solutions and search for and add apps from AppSource to meet any additional requirements. And there are no added costs for infrastructure as everything is hosted on the cloud!