Great news! Plataan has made some small changes in its open kalendar trainings concerning financial topics. We have combined some of the financials trainings, so that you can save time and at the same moment are completely prepared to take the Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 Financials Certification Exam.

We have combined these 3 courses in the new training called 'Financials Track', taking you only 5 days, which you would normally spent 6 days to complete.

• Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 Application Setup
• Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 Finance
• Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 Business Intelligence for Information Workers

Although not necessary for the financials exam, you can also follow these onsite trainings to increase your financial knowledge to an expert level:

• Microsoft Dynamics NAV Resources & Jobs
• Microsoft Dynamics NAV Fixed Assets

Check out our trainingcalendar for the exact locations and dates and enroll today!  

A few months ago, I wrote an item on this blog on the new NAV 5.0 courseware and certification.

I guess that if you're a consultant, by now you should be implementing NAV 5.0 for your new customers. And if you're a consultant getting ready to certify in NAV, you should be thinking about certifying in NAV 5.0 (although the NAV 4.0 exams are still available). It's not that a lot has changed, but there are some new certification guidelines and roadmaps for NAV 5.0. And based on recent questions I got from customers, a lot of you out there are apparently not aware of the new certification in NAV 5.0.

Let me give you one example:

In NAV 4.0 and earlier, you had the popular "Financials in Microsoft Dynamics–Navision 4.0 Certification" Exam (#MB7-225). In order to take this exam you had to know your way around following modules:

• Microsoft Business Solutions - Navision 4.0 Introduction
• Microsoft Business Solutions - Navision 4.0 Financials I
• Microsoft Business Solutions - Navision 4.0 Financials II
• Microsoft Business Solutions - Navision 4.0 Fixed Assets
• Microsoft Business Solutions - Navision 4.0 Resources and Jobs

This has changed completely in NAV 5.0. The "Financials" exam is now called "Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 Financials Certification Exam" (#MB7-515), but not only the name and reference have changed. The roadmap to take this exam is:

• Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0
• Finance in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0
• Application Setup in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0
• Business Intelligence for Information Workers in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0

So no "Resource and Jobs" anymore, no "Fixed Assets" anymore. Instead a couple of new courses are included. This is very important information for consultants wanting to take this exam. So keep this in mind.

The complete new certification guidelines can be found on the Plataan website (http://www.plataan.be/en/navision/it_pro/certification.htm). You will of course also find all info on new NAV 5.0 trainings which are marked:

    

    

Want to become a Microsoft MVP?
Start with training, then get your certifications and then before you know it the world will be at your feet.

Thanks to waldo for his personal home video!

As all of you should know, in June Dynamics NAV 5.0 has been released in Belgium. Most of you probably already are busy implementing new projects on NAV 5.0, but what about training and certification?

There will be new NAV 5.0 trainings for which Microsoft already published some new courseware. In combination with this, from August 2007 on, NAV 5.0 certifications have become available. But so far, official courseware is not available yet. So let's try to sort things out here:

First of all, following NAV 5.0 certifications can be attained from August on:

• NAV 5.0 C/SIDE Introduction
• NAV 5.0 Financials
• NAV 5.0 C/SIDE Solution Development

But in the meantime, NAV 4.0 certifications remain available and valid.

What courseware is concerned, as already mentioned, Microsoft already created some NAV 5.0 content, but this hasn't been released yet as official courseware, or in other terms: NAV 5.0 mocs are not yet available. They will become within the coming months, following this schedule:

• Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics™ NAV 5.0 – September 2007
• Installation and Configuration in Microsoft Dynamics™ NAV 5.0 – October 2007
• Application Setup in Microsoft Dynamics™ NAV 5.0 – October 2007
• Finance in Microsoft Dynamics™ NAV 5.0 – November 2007
• C/Side Solution Development in Microsoft Dynamics™ NAV 5.0 – November 2007
• Business Intelligence for Information Workers in Microsoft Dynamics™ NAV 5.0 – November 2007

These Manuals are already available for download on PartnerSource and CustomerSource for partners and customers enrolled in a service plan for Microsoft Dynamics. 

Following titles are available as mocs:

• What's New in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 - Local Functionality
• What's New in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 - Installation and Development
• What's New in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 - Application Part I
• What's New in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 - Application Part II

So what about the Plataan trainings?

Of course we will bring as soon as possible the new NAV 5.0 trainings. We will do this based on the availability of the official mocs.

On the other hand we of course realize that for our customers it is very important to be informed with the most up to date NAV 5.0 content. That's why, as long as the official courseware isn't available yet, we will integrate new or changed NAV 5.0 topics in our trainings.

From a practical point of this means that we will provide in the meantime a NAV 4.0 manual. During the training we will use the NAV 5.0 client which will allow us to cover new 5.0 functionality.

And from the moment new NAV 5.0 mocs will be available, we will be the first to use them during our trainings.

Microsoft announced new professional certifications for Microsoft Dynamics.

The new certifications for Microsoft Dynamics™ and related business products start going into effect November 2006.

2 new titles are announced:

• Microsoft Certified Business Management Solutions Specialist
  This title replaces the Microsoft Business Solutions Certified Professional title. The achievement of this certification helps demonstrate an individual’s proficiency in one module of a Microsoft Dynamics or related business product. Microsoft Certified Business Management Solutions Specialists must pass a single certification exam for a Microsoft Dynamics or related business product to earn the title.

• Microsoft Certified Business Management Solutions Professional
  This title replaces the Microsoft Business Solutions Certified Master title. Microsoft Certified Business Management Solutions Professional is a premier certification that shows an individual has completed a pre-determined set of required and elective certification exams. These include certification exams for Microsoft Dynamics and related business products, as well as certification exams for other Microsoft technologies such as SQL Server. The pre-determined set of required and elective exams for this certification are focused on one of three specific knowledge areas – Applications, Developer, or Installation and Configuration – for one Microsoft Dynamics product. This certification helps demonstrate an individual’s broad and deep knowledge of a Microsoft Dynamics product — more knowledge than what is needed to achieve a Microsoft Certified Business Management Solutions Specialist title.