Convergence 2015 Recap from an IT Manager

As an IT Manager, I view Convergence differently than Dynamics GP Users.  I am not as concerned with features and functionality as I am with technical details – what does the install look like, how to troubleshoot SQL, etc.  My goal when attending Convergence is to understand the supporting technology of Dynamics. If you are in IT, or if you have a dedicated IT person you plan to send to Convergence, this blog will highlight some topics and speakers worth seeking out.

Favorite Convergence Topics and Speakers

My first choice for sessions are those where Rod Hansen is presenting.  Rod is considered one of Microsoft Dynamics’ premier SQL Server people and I have never seen people take notes like they do in his sessions.  Rod is a Dynamics AX Premier Field Engineer and is the one that troubleshoots the problems that no one else can. He has developed a tool that for years Microsoft engineers used to diagnose system problems and is now available to the public free of charge – it is called the Dynamics Performance Analyzer.  It works for all versions of Dynamics but has a little more focus on AX – fantastic tool!  This space is not long enough to get into specifics but if you manage SQL, you will want to bookmark this blog and search for articles authored by Rod.

Next on my preferred session list this year was one by Mariano Gomez and Dave Musgrave (https://winthropdc.wordpress.com) about customizing the user interface.  This session was geared toward developing for Dynamics and while I do not do much development for Dynamics GP, it is good to hear about the different tools that are available and what people are doing with them.  Dave is the developer of the Support Debugging Tool and I wanted to get an update on the current status; it is currently free but that will be changing in the near future. If you have not seen this tool, I highly recommend you have a look.

Another key item on my list for this year was anything to do with configuring and maintaining Microsoft’s Power BI. Our company is just getting into it and I am trying to keep ahead of the curve so that I am able to answer the questions from our executives.

Go To Convergence

I’ve attended Convergence many times, and recommend it if you use or support Dynamics – whether GP, AX, NAV or CRM, your company should invest in going.  It’s well worth it. It really doesn’t matter what sessions you attend at Convergence, they are all full of useful information.  As long as you go in with a plan like I do, you’ll get what you came for. And since you simply can’t attend every session you are interested in, there is the added bonus that Microsoft records all the sessions and makes them and the slide decks available to watch and share long after the conference is over.