Burgum Takes Microsoft MBS Chairman Role

Microsoft has high expectations for its upcoming line of Dynamics software. It announced today a chairman of the division by promoting Doug Burgum, senior vice president of Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) business group, to fill the role.

Burgum is slated to spearhead Redmond’s transition of its disparate line of software within MBS — Great Plains, Navision, Microsoft CRM and others — into the Microsoft Dynamics business management suite.

His duties as MBS chairman, officials said, will involve working directly with customers, partners, ISVs and business decision makers to evangelize the role of Dynamics in the workplace.

Company officials say they have seen a lot of growth in its MBS line in recent times and expect to see even more growth in the division when the Dynamics line starts rolling off the assembly line and onto retail shelves.

The first of the Dynamics line, Dynamics CRM 3.0, has already gone gold and an International English version of the software is expected in early December.

Dynamics’ success is of critical importance to Microsoft’s long-term viability, Burgum said, and they are poised for growth in a marketplace that’s predicted to expand dramatically.

“We have an incredible opportunity ahead,” he said in an online Q&A session Thursday. “We’re making great progress toward our vision, and the customer and partner momentum for the business continues to grow.

“It is our ability to address the entire range of activities that workers do to drive business results that will enable us to continue to be a market leader in software and software-based services for businesses,” he continued. “The structured, role-based business solutions from MBS are a key element of the digital workstyle that people need to be successful in the constantly evolving workplace.”

Burgum came to Microsoft through the company’s $1.1 billion acquisition of Great Plains Software in April 2001, a company he worked at for 18 years. The past five years have been at the front of the MBS division as senior vice president.

The new MBS chairman will continue to report to Jeff Raikes, Microsoft business division president. Burgum will continue his duties as senior vice president until his replacement is found.