NTT Communications to Expand Microsoft Dynamics AX on Enterprise Cloud Throughout APAC

NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com) announced it will offer Microsoft Dynamics AX as a Service on top of a hybrid cloud architecture composed of its own Enterprise Cloud and Microsoft Azure. Now the company is poised to provide that solution through practically the entirety of APAC – China included.

The Internet and communications (ICT) solutions and international communications business within the NTT Group will greatly expand the offering with new features that will be available by October 1, including additional templates for five types of industries/purposes, strengthened support for deployment in 12 Asian countries/regions, and compatibility with hybrid clouds.

It’s a lofty goal, but NTT Communications has the breadth, reach, and hardware to do it. NTT Communications already provides consultancy, architecture, security and cloud services throughout Asia, backed by the company’s worldwide infrastructure, which includes (it claims) the leading global tier-1 IP network, the Arcstar Universal One VPN network, which reaches 196 countries/regions, and includes 130 secure data centers worldwide.

But they are hardly blazing a trail in the region. In April 2014, HP announced an expanded effort to deliver Dynamics AX and CRM across Asia with the acquisition of Arvato Systems’ Microsoft Dynamics practice in Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. Their Dynamics-based solutions will include industry-specific offerings in ares like consumer goods, automotive dealers, bank branches, government case management, retail, and travel.

In April 2015, Fujitsu started rolling out three new solutions for Microsoft Dynamics AX aimed at enabling Japanese companies to deploy ERP systems at their overseas locations as they expand. And more Dynamics-focused cloud providers like SaaSplaza are already there with their own data centers. Still, NTT is NTT, and likely to eat some (if not all) of its competitors’ lunch.

NTT Com expects that customers will use the enhanced features of Microsoft Dynamics AX on Enterprise Cloud for agile implementation and deployment, as well as unified management, of secure, reliable ERP systems in the APAC region.

Clouds over Japan, China and 10 other APAC countires

The upgraded services will be offered initially in four countries including Japan, Singapore (the typical beachhead for an APAC expansion), Thailand, and Vietnam. Eight other Asian locations will follow sequentially, being (in order) Indonesia; Malaysia; the Philippines; Myanmar; China; Hong Kong; Taiwan; and India on a sequential basis. Service prices will be provided on an estimate basis per contract.

NTT Com will offer templates for five industries and processes:

1.       Automotive Parts Supply

2.       High-Tech Manufacturing

3.       Process Manufacturing

4.       Make-to-Order Type Manufacturing

5.       APAC Global Accounting

Hiro Higuma, General Manager, Dynamics Business Group, Microsoft Japan Co., Ltd, said: “Microsoft Japan welcomes the launch of ‘Microsoft Dynamics AX on Enterprise Cloud’, a global ERP solution for Microsoft Dynamics AX by NTT Com. By adding Microsoft Azure to its global service lineup, NTT Com will be able to provide hybrid cloud services from application through infrastructure to networks in global scale, realizing higher reliability and quality. Microsoft looks forward to promoting Microsoft Dynamics AX by leveraging NTT Com’s industry optimized process templates that enable rapid and low-cost deployment and the operation. Microsoft wishes to continue collaboration with NTT Com in solution development.”

Overview of service expansion

NTT has provided a handy infographic to summarize the hybrid cloud offering (see image at the top). The expansion also includes these:

• New templates: NTT Com will add templates for five types of industries/purposes (see table) to eliminate the need to customize. The templates will meet specific business needs and thereby simplify and ostensibly accelerate implementation of Dynamics AX. Detailed customization is still possible, however, to meet other needs.
• Additional support in Asia: NTT Com, leveraging its experience in APAC and status as a Certified Professional of Dynamics AX, will provide customers with total support for implementing and operating ERP solutions in 12 Asian countries/regions. Support will include general analysis of each enterprise’s business processes and their compatibility with Dynamics AX, and consultation on each system and network to be incorporated in the solution.
• Hybrid cloud compatibility: Microsoft Dynamics AX on Enterprise Cloud will be able to directly connect with Microsoft Azure and the existing Enterprise Cloud by leveraging Multi-Cloud Connect, an option on the private network service Arcstar Universal One. This compatibility enables seamless hybrid cloud environments incorporating a wide variety of applications from Enterprise Cloud and Microsoft Azure.
• One stop, seamless maintenance services: NTT Com provides Global Management One, its global maintenance and operational service for Dynamics AX along with cloud computing and network services. The service will include help desks that offer support in Japanese, English and some Asian languages. Enterprises will use the service for globally unified management and operation of their ERP solutions.