Migrate quickly & securely with confidence to the cloud

Dynamics AX on Microsoft Azure Cloud

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Microsoft Azure is the cloud platform that offers companies a variety of services to improve

and support business processes. All of these services are fully optimisable to your needs.

These customers expect a first class digital

experience, specifically designed for their use.

Even though digital transformation may not be at

the top of every company’s priority list, making the

move to the cloud is the only way to ensure that

you are relevant and competitive in today’s market

place and there is no better time to move to the cloud than now.

The public cloud offers you scalability,

agility and reliability. For business-

critical applications, such as Microsoft

Dynamics AX, this is essential. However,

many organisations still choose to run

these core applications in-house with all

the investment, management costs and

security risks that come along with it.

Dynamics AX on Microsoft Azure

ensures a future-proof solution so that

you can focus on providing added value

to your customers.

Choose a future-proof solution

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Topics1. The cloud is growing 4

2. What is the public cloud? 5

3. What is Microsoft Azure? 6

4. The benefits of Microsoft AX on Azure 7

5. 8 reasons to migrate now 8

6. Key advantages of Microsoft Azure 11

7. How do you carry out a migration to Azure? 13

8. Why should you put your trust in the cloud? 14

9. Frequently asked questions 15

10. Contact 16

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IT research firm Gartner, estimated that

the global market for public cloud services

of $153.5 billion in 2017 is growing to

around $302 billion by 2021. Research firm

451 also concludes that more and more

organisations prefer the cloud over the

traditional data centre.

The public cloud market is dominated by

three main players: Microsoft, Amazon and

Google.

Microsoft Azure has a market share of 20

per cent and has had the biggest growth (+4

per cent) in the past year.

3 years extension of support when you

move your AX environment to Azure Cloud

Kristijan de Weerd, Business Development

Manager at HSO said, “Microsoft’s support

will soon be available on a variety of

commonly used software products, such

as SQL 2008 and Windows Server 2008.

We see that many of our customers are

struggling with this, because where can you

go with questions and issues? And what

security risks does this entail? A great way

to bypass this is to move the Dynamics AX

environment to Microsoft’s Azure cloud. As

a customer, you will also receive a further

three years of support”.

Another pain point that organisations

experience is creaking, stuttering

or depreciated hardware. Building,

maintaining and managing your own

data centre is no longer sinecure. Plus

you’ll notice when your business grows,

that your current hardware is no longer

enough. A traditional static IT environment

is not easily scalable, which can cause

performance problems. The cloud provides

a solution, as by using Microsoft’s services

and systems, you can easily turn on or off

capacity, exactly when and as it suits you.

The cloud is growing‘Microsoft Azure - fastest growth in the cloud market’

01

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What is the public cloud?

The public cloud is defined as a computer

power made available by third parties over

the internet to anyone who wants to use it.

We already know about free services, such as

Gmail, but there are also paid services, such

as Azure.

For example, with one service you pay for the

amount of storage, and with another you pay

for the number of users. The main feature of

public cloud services is that you only pay for

what you use.

It is therefore often referred to as “utlity

computing”, after the calculation model of

utility services such as water and energy.

The difference with a private cloud is that

the infrastructure is not purchased and

maintained by the user.

The cloud service provider - the company

that makes the public cloud available - is

responsible for managing and maintaining

the system.

SaaS

There are several major players when it

comes to purchasing cloud services. This

allows you to use an application that is

fully managed by ICT service providers. You

are only concerned about the application

in question. That’s what we call Software-

as-a-Service (SaaS). A known example is

Dynamics 365.

PaaS

If you would like a little more control,

then Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) might

be a solution for you. You still use the

public cloud infrastructure on which you

can develop applications, however this

development has already recreated the

technical side of IT, so you no longer have

to worry about installing a web server,

because you are only working on the

application code.

IaaS

Finally, we distinguish a third layer:

Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), where

you actually only use the hardware of the

cloud supplier. In this layer, servers, storage,

networks and other infrastructure can be

found on demand, so that you as a user

have the freedom of using this hardware

and the applications installed on it.

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Microsoft has used its constantly growing,

global network of data centers to create

Azure. Azure is a cloud platform for building,

deploying, and managing services and

applications, anywhere. Azure lets you add

cloud features to your existing network

through the Platform-as-a-Service model, or

place all your computer and network needs

in Microsoft’s hands with Infrastructure-as-a-

Service. Both options provide secure, reliable

access to your data in the cloud.

Azure offers an increasing number of

products and services designed to meet

all your needs through a simple, easy-to-

manage platform.

Microsoft has more data center regions

than its competitors. In Europe, Microsoft

currently has three data center locations

with its own power supply, cooling and

network infrastructure; in the regions of

northern Europe, Western Europe and

Central France, customer data is stored

locally, as it complies to the new European

privacy legislation.

What is Microsoft Azure? 03

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Azure is the perfect platform for Dynamics AX. By running AX on Azure, ie. in the cloud, you benefit from easier maintenance and a clear cost structure. But those aren’t the only benefits the cloud solution offers. Here are a few more:

Faster roll out of applications

The cloud helps to push your business

ahead. You have the ability to quickly

develop and roll out applications and thus

take customer service to the next level. This

allows you to handle digital transformation

with ease and extend the life of your

product or machine. Resulting in overall

added value and getting ahead of your

competition.

Reliable & safe

You want to prevent your business-critical

applications from being out of reach.

By hosting applications through a cloud

partner, you are assured of continuous

availability. Things like business continuity

and disaster recovery are easy to arrange

on Azure.

Flexible & scalable

The use of the cloud brings a lot of

flexibility. The big advantage of cloud over

traditional IT environments is that scale-up

and scale down becomes easy. After all, you

do not use your own servers, but the large

capacity of your supplier. This means that

capacity can be easily adjusted.

The benefits of Dynamics AX on Azure

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8 reasons to migrate now

When you move the Dynamics AX

environment to Microsoft Azure,

it offers savings in many different

areas. For example, there are no

upfront investments, and it takes

less effort and time to maintain

and manage the system in the new

environment. But there are other

reasons to migrate now.

Security should be at the top of your list

when considering migrating to the cloud.

Fortunately, Azure is one of the most secure

platforms in the world. All of the knowledge

and expertise that Microsoft is putting into

the field of security is included in its cloud

platform to provide customers with the very

best security.

Microsoft has large departments that do

nothing but translate the latest knowledge

and expertise in the field of security into

Azure. It is also possible to back up systems

in other data centres, so that you can be

confident that your business assets and data

are secure.

Downtime directly harms your business,

both financially and in terms of your repu-

tation. Reliability of your IT systems is

therefore essential. You want it to work

anytime, anywhere. In order to achieve this

yourself, a large amount of investment,

both in terms of knowledge and expertise,

as well as manpower is usually committed.

These areas are all covered for you when

you switch to Azure. After all, it’s Microsoft’s

business to know all kinds of technological

solutions that ensure that your systems are

always up-and-running. You don’t have to

worry about that anymore when you move

to Azure.

High security01Increasedreliability

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05

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Reduced costs05Improved agility

04Easier scalability

03

In order to ensure that your system can

cope with the peak performance moments,

significant investments are usually made to

set systems up in-house. However, outside

peak times, most of the equipment becomes

obsolete.

When you use a public cloud, you can scale

allocated resources up and down and only

use and pay for what you need.

Compare this to running an on-premise

system. You need to invest in and install

all of the hardware you predict you might

need at peak times as well as incurring all

the costs of maintaining and supporting

the equipment, which for large parts of the

trading year will not be used.

The business world is becoming incre-

asingly more competitive, so it is crucial to

be able to respond quickly as an organisa-

tion to changes in the economy and society.

According to Infosys Research, 77 percent

of companies see this agility as the main

reason for a move to the cloud.

How much could you save if you don’t have

to build, manage and maintain your own

IT infrastructure? On Azure, Dynamics AX

runs on a “rented” infrastructure, which

means virtual servers are running in the

public cloud. Because you don’t have to

invest in that physical equipment yourself

and Microsoft provides the most up-to-date

systems, your spending on IT infrastructure

can drastically decrease.

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Future-proof08More data

insights06

Stay relevant and popular as an employer of IT staff

07

The data generated by using Microsoft

Dynamics AX on Azure is collected in Azure.

There is no better way to visualise this data

than with Power BI. This gives you clear

insights into how customers interact with

your business.

You can then use this information again to

tighten processes. With Azure and Power BI,

you can make the best decisions based on

data from all of your cloud systems.

Outdated equipment requires specific main-

tenance and knowledge. But at the same

time, it’s good to attract young people into

your business, because they are “digital”

native and can therefore digitally help

you to move forward with their know-

ledge and expertise. In a world where IT

talent is scarce, the chances of millennials

seeing you as an attractive employer when

working with outdated systems are not very

high. The switch to the public cloud offers

you a reputation as an attractive employer

for young and rare IT talent to support

your business and help with contemporary

technology.

Performing updates, upgrading software

and writing off hardware are cost-inten-

sive and time-intensive for your business.

Especially in a world in which today’s

technology is already obsolete tomorrow.

For most companies it is the norm not to

be fully up-to-date with their IT systems.

Microsoft can now make this much faster

and easier. It’s good to know that your

company can get the benefits out of

new technology without having to make

substantial investments. Whatever changes

in IT infrastructure in the future, you know

that you are assured state-of-the-art tech-

nology in the public cloud.

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Transferring your Microsoft

Dynamics AX environment to

Azure is a first step in making your

organisation flexible and agile.

This migration can be a stepping

stone to benefiting from many other

advantages that Microsoft’s cloud

can offer you. Below we list some for

you.

Keep your business safe and compliant

Get the same comprehensive security,

privacy, compliance, and intellectual

property protection that 95 percent of

Fortune 500 companies, governments, and

startups running on Microsoft Azure get

today.

Create new applications and digital services

Gain your customers’ trust by showing

them that your organisation is working on

a platform that meets the strictest privacy

standards in the industry. Use artificial

intelligence and machine learning to

analyse customer trends and behaviour,

and promote new services. Easily develop

and test new applications in a secure and

shielded cloud environment.

Storage, backup, and data recovery

Reduce your security costs and secure your

data by hosting your infrastructure and

apps on Microsoft Azure, the cloud base

that provides advanced storage and secu-

rity. Take advantage of built-in security

checks, including identity management, and

easily identify and respond to threats with

Microsoft Intelligent Security Graph real-

time threat detection.

Take advantage of the potential of

connected devices

From the cloud, every application is acces-

sible day and night, anywhere in the world

and through any conceivable device. This

offers your organisation unprecedented

opportunities for example, for international

expansion, but also a global workforce.

Take the next step in AI

Make artificial intelligence (AI) available

to your organisation. AI is the ability of a

computer to mimic intelligent human beha-

viour. Through AI, you can analyse images,

understand speech, communicate naturally

and make predictions based upon data.

Analyse data to make predictions

Use artificial intelligence and machine

learning to analyse and predict customer

trends, feeling and behaviour. Get insights

to help yoiur business move forward

through in-depth data analysis.

Key advantages of Microsoft Azure

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“Failures in our ERP system we cannot afford”“If our preparation facilities or distribution centres cannot deliver, it will have immediate consequences

for hospitals, pharmacies and ultimately for their patients. Continuity is therefore crucial for us. Microsoft

Azure is the platform that supports us.”

Gertjan Knoester, Global IT Manager at Fagron

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How do you carry out a migration to Azure?

By migrating Microsoft Dynamics AX to Microsoft’s public cloud, your business becomes more agile. You can scale up or down easily and capital costs are converted to operating costs. But how do you carry out a migration to Azure? We asked Kristijan de Weerd, Business Development Manager at HSO.

“One of the easiest and cheapest ways is to

transfer the current situation to the cloud

one-on-one, picking up the system as it is

and putting it in the Microsoft area. This is

called a “lift and shift” approach. With such

a migration, the Dynamics application and

all the data associated with the cloud is

moved with minimal adjustments.”

Kristijan explains that a successful “lift and

shift” migration uses the infrastructure

benefits and management features of the

cloud, whilst both minimising migration

costs as the time it takes to complete the

migration is shorter.

HSO adds value

He commented that HSO are experts on

data centre migrations and this brings

significant benefits to customers. “Migrating

a single application to the cloud doesn’t

save you directly, after all, you have to keep

your IT landscape intact for all the adjacent

applications your organisation uses. So to

take full advantage of your migration, HSO

also recommends that all of your other

systems move to the cloud.

Kristijan de Weerd,

Business Development Manager

07

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At HSO, we understand like no other how far-reaching the migration of mission-cri-tical systems to the cloud can be. Kristijan de Weerd, Business Development Manager at HSO, tells you how to make the switch with conficence.

Understand the value of migration to the

cloud

“A migration is a major process, but the

improved security, scalability and life span

of the systems, far out-weighs the “hassle”.

Make sure you have a clear understanding

in advance about the many advantages

your company will achieve by making the

move to the cloud.

Find out why Azure offers the most value

“Azure’s benefits are evident time and

time again from research by renowned IT

research agencies. The fact that Azure data

centres are in the UK and Ireland, amongst

other locations, guarantees that your data

will remain within the UK and Irish trade

borders and are therefore compliant with

laws and regulations,”

Understand how to use the cloud and take

advantage of it

“The financial advantages of the cloud

may be most evident, because you no

longer have to invest in the purchase,

maintenance and management of your own

IT environment.

Your organisation also becomes very

agile. The fact that you can access your

system anytime, anywhere, together with

the reliability and scalability of cloud

infrastructure can help your company

move forward quickly and become more

competitive.”

Know how HSO can help you to migrate

“We recommend that you engage with a

skilled and experienced partner in a cloud

migration. We rarely see organisations go it

alone to migrate independently as the risk

is much greater than the cost of a reliable

adviser throughout the process. This

ensures that everything goes as smoothly as

possible.”

Kristijan de Weerd Business Development Manager, HSO

Why you should put your trust in the cloud

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Do you have any questions? We have some answers to the most frequently asked questions below

1. Where is my data? Data from UK and Irish companies is stored

in Microsoft UK and Irish data centre

locations. The Service Level Agreement

stipulates this.

2.How is the cost of the cloud structured? Compare it to your energy bill. You only pay

for what you actually use. Smart systems on

Azure also make it easy to see if there are

unused applications or users that you can

eliminate. You have the costs in hand.

3.What happens to my other applications around Dynamics? At HSO, we prefer to move all of your

applications to the cloud. This way you can

take full advantage of the benefits because

you no longer have to maintain and manage

your own IT environment.

4.How long does a migration take? That depends on the number of applications

you migrate to the cloud. It can range from

three weeks to about three months. It also

depends how much you have already done

and are able to carry out yourself.

5.What does a typical migration route with HSO look like? We start with an inventory of your current

IT environment. Then we look at how this

fits into Azure and develop a migration

plan. HSO’s “lift and shift” approach differs

slightly from the standard procedure,

because a traditional “lift and shift” makes a

complete copy of the environment. So that’s

what we do for your piece of mind. We

ensure your environment is safely stored.

That ultimately benefits the performance.

After the actual migration, we carry out

further optimisation, monitoring and

security checks to be sure that you are

running cost effectively.

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If you have further questions or would

like to receive more information please

get in touch.

Contact HSO UK:

info-uk@hso.com

+44 (0) 20 3128 7767

www.hso.com

Was your questionnot here?

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1st Floor, Enterprise Point, Altrincham Road, Manchester, M22 9AF | T +44 (0) 20 3128 7767 | info-uk@hso.com

HSO has been a Microsoft Solution Integrator since 1989. As a fully mature and successful IT company, HSO currently employs 1000+ people and maintains a globalpresence with locations in Europe, North America and Asia. HSO supports local and international companies in retail, wholesale, industry, and technical and professional

services, bringing real added value to their businesses through digital technology. This support is built on a foundation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 (CRM & ERP), Microsoft365, and Data & AI. HSO delivers the necessary services to implement, optimise and manage these leading cloud solutions, globally, 24/7. HSO is also a member of

the Microsoft Dynamics Inner Circle and is the proud bearer of the title ‘Most Customer-Oriented Microsoft Partner’. You can find more information about HSO on http://www.hso.com/ or viaTwitter @HSO_Tweets.

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