New user need advice

slmaluwa · 2006-11-04

Hello

Our company is considering to go for Microsoft NAV and asked me to find more about this project. I have been searching and reading a lot. And also downloaded a demo verion from a site.

Now, I really don't know about the different versions of this product. I also heard the MS changed their pricing at the end of last month.

Also, Once we ordred and got the customization by a local MS Partner, is it possible for another partner to conitnue the service (in case the 1st one fails to provide what we need or disappear from business)?

Again, how far our company IT staff can go and edit the code and reports? what type of rights our company gets when we get the product?

can you please help me to find answers?

Thank you

Alex_Chow · 2006-11-04

Let me first start by saying that your company is making the right decision by going with Microsoft Dyanmics NAV.

The most recent release of the product is 4.0 SP3. This is all you need to worry about at this point. All the other stuff the experts are discussing are just speculations.

Yes, any solution center can go in and continue where the previous solution center left off. You don't ever have to worry about "being stuck" to one company when you use Navision. After all, Navision is implemented in over 55 countries, 53,000 companies, and over 1,000,000 users.

You have full permission to reports. You can modify table fields and keys as well as create new tables, but you're not able to modify the codes behind tables. The same goes for forms. You can modify and create your own forms, but you will not be able to access the codes behind it.

Most of the time, you won't need to modify table and form triggers anyway. If you do, it's better to have experts come in and do it since this is exactly what solution centers specialize in.

Waldo · 2006-11-05

I agree with deadlizard! I just want to add some remarks.

Welcome in the world of Dynamics NAV.

deadlizard wrote:

Yes, any solution center can go in and continue where the previous solution center left off. You don't ever have to worry about "being stuck" to one company when you use Navision. After all, Navision is implemented in over 55 countries, 53,000 companies, and over 1,000,000 users.

Be careful when your solutions center is implemening an Add-On. Mostly it is the best choice to use an add-on, because it's (mostly) prooven functionality (as it has been implemented in more than one company). The negative side though is that it IS POSSIBLE that your solution center has some kind of "exclusivity contract", which makes that only that specific solution center is allowed to distribute and modify in the code of the add-on. This makes you somehow dependent of that solution center.
Just add some statements in your contract with your solution center excluding this scenario...

deadlizard wrote:

You have full permission to reports. You can modify table fields and keys as well as create new tables, but you're not able to modify the codes behind tables. The same goes for forms. You can modify and create your own forms, but you will not be able to access the codes behind it.

It is possible to add a granule (quite expensive one) where you can do everything what a solution center can. You "buy" the standard Dynamics NAV code that way. Before you consider this, please add many days education as well.

deadlizard wrote:

Most of the time, you won't need to modify table and form triggers anyway. If you do, it's better to have experts come in and do it since this is exactly what solution centers specialize in.

Definitally! Before you begin to "play around", you have to specialize in the product.

Dennis_Decoene · 2006-11-05

Hang on!

In Navision, everything is programmed in Objects. These have a type (table, form,...) and a number.

In those object numbers there are several ranges. And each range has a specific function. Generally, partners can add objects in the 50000-99999 range.

If you inherit a customisation from another patner, you will be able to change and edit and support that customisation as long as he stayed in that range.

Now, if the other partner has developed an add-on, objects will be in a special range, assigned by MS.

You with your license will not be able to edit code in those objects!!!

Alex_Chow · 2006-11-05

Dennis_Decoene wrote:

You with your license will not be able to edit code in those objects!!!

Not true in most cases. When the ISV summits an modification for add-on, they can specify whether NSCs can go in and modify them. However, I do not know of any add-ons that where the ISV puts in such restriction.

You won't be able to add objects within the add-on ranges, however, you have full access to the codes to be able to modify as you wish.

slmaluwa · 2006-11-05

thank you very much for you all

The entire answers, they are indeed a very useful set of information which I will keep in my mind.

And, the user licenses, they say, are for concurrent users. Thats OK, but, is the license given directly by MS or partners themselves create them?

When was the Microsft Dynamics NAV SP3 released? We have just placed the order for the product and I hope we will get the SP3.

Thank you again!

Dennis_Decoene · 2006-11-05

deadlizard wrote:

Dennis_Decoene wrote:

You with your license will not be able to edit code in those objects!!!

Not true in most cases. When the ISV summits an modification for add-on, they can specify whether NSCs can go in and modify them. However, I do not know of any add-ons that where the ISV puts in such restriction.

You won't be able to add objects within the add-on ranges, however, you have full access to the codes to be able to modify as you wish.

Well I must say that in the add-ons we made over the years, you could only change code with our lic. Our partners, resellers, only had execute rights in their lic. So I guess he will have to find out by trying...

Alex_Chow · 2006-11-06

slmaluwa wrote:

thank you very much for you all

The entire answers, they are indeed a very useful set of information which I will keep in my mind.

And, the user licenses, they say, are for concurrent users. Thats OK, but, is the license given directly by MS or partners themselves create them?

When was the Microsft Dynamics NAV SP3 released? We have just placed the order for the product and I hope we will get the SP3.

Thank you again!

The license is configured by Microsoft and sent to the partners. Then the partner will forward them to you.

Alex_Chow · 2006-11-06

Dennis_Decoene wrote:

Well I must say that in the add-ons we made over the years, you could only change code with our lic. Our partners, resellers, only had execute rights in their lic. So I guess he will have to find out by trying...

Personally, I stay away from ISVs that releases addons that does not allow NSCs to modify them. Most of the popular and useful addons can be modified by NSCs, i.e., Lanham & Assoc. and Cost Control Software.

However, I respect the fact that the ISV is trying to protect their investment.

Dennis_Decoene · 2006-11-06

I know, I'm more open minded too. Open Source software is for me the best thing since the invention of the double whopper with cheese.

But, the boss knows (knew in my case) best right.

NavDevelop · 2006-11-08

I am ina similar situation. We have developed an add-on and were given a specific range by microsoft to work with. We want to make our code open so that our customers can modify it if they need to. However they are not being able to do anythign with our code. When they asked microsoft about the issue , microsoft pointed them back to us by saying that we need to provide them with our GranuleId . My question is how do I provide the GranuleId to the customer ?

Sandra · 2006-11-08

slmaluwa!

Don't hope that you get SP3 see to it that you get it. There seem to be some security issues in that release that are really important. By the time you receive your navision solution Sp3 should be thoroughly tested.
Good luck - Navision is a great choice!

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