Microsoft announced a herd of updates to its business applications and services on Monday, marking the beginning of its Convergence 2004 conference for business customers.
The updates include new functions for the Microsoft Business Network, which is a subscription-based software hosting service that Microsoft released last year to help companies exchange shipping lists, inventory updates and other data.
The company said the network can now process documents based on the electronic data interchange (EDI) standard, a widely used precursor to XML (Extensible Markup Language) for describing the contents of business documents.
Microsoft said in a statement that, working with software partner Inovis, it developed a system to translate EDI documents into the XML dialect used by Microsoft Business Network. "Together with Microsoft Business Solutions, we are committed to helping small and midsized businesses meet the needs of their trading partners, regardless of existing technology or communications infrastructure," Inovis chief executive Ilaria Derr said in a statement.
Other announcements from Convergence 2004, which runs until Wednesday in Orlando, Florida, include an update to Microsoft CRM, the software giant's customer relationship management application, to allow mobile access to sales data. Planned for release this summer, the update will allow customers running the Microsoft CRM Sales for Outlook Extension to synchronise data with handheld computers running Microsoft's Pocket PC operating system.
In addition, the company announced an update to its Great Plains accounting software. Version 8.0 of Great Plains, set for release in July, will include a revamped interface that mimics Microsoft Office, the company's market-leading productivity package, and new links to Office applications.
Microsoft also is planning an update of its Navision enterprise resource planning software. Navision 4.0, set for release in October, will include enhancements intended to make it easier and quicker for businesses to implement customised versions of the product.
