Microsoft Offers Zero Percent Financing For New Dynamics Apps Buyers

Microsoft is offering zero percent financing for new customers of its Dynamics ERP and CRM applications, the company said Thursday, a move that should provide channel partners with an additional sales tool in these tough economic times.

I brought [the news] up to our sales team and they were overjoyed," said Mike Gillis, managing vice president at Hitachi Consulting, a reseller of the Microsoft Dynamics applications. "What's good for the customer is good for every step of the channel."

The offer will be good for 36 months and applies to purchases of $20,000 to $1 million, Microsoft said. It's applicable to licensing and first-year enhancement costs on Dynamics NAV, Dynamics AX, Dynamics GP, Dynamics SL and Dynamics CRM applications.

Hitachi, which resells Dynamics AX and some Dynamics CRM software, hasn't really seen any evidence that the sluggish economy and the much-publicized credit crunch has seriously hurt sales: Gillis said the company's sales of Dynamics applications has grown 122 percent year-over-year. But he said the never-ending flood of bad economic news in recent months has caused some potential customers to hesitate before closing deals.

Zero percent financing will provide an added incentive for customers to buy, he said. Hitachi generally provides potential customers with return-on-investment estimates to demonstrate the value of the Dynamics applications. "The return-on-investment calculation is more important today than ever," he said. "And the zero percent financing certainly helps that."

The offer is available in the U.S., Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K.