Merit Matters Blog

Testing e-mail functionality in your Microsoft Dynamics AX/GP application/customization using external e-mail servers has always been a frustrating process. If your test e-mail somehow avoids anti-spam and other SMTP server services, it will still take several minutes to receive. Sometimes, it can take 5 – 10 minutes for your sent e-mail to arrive at the destination - and you can never be sure if your test e-mail is late or if delivery has failed due to an error in your application.

Wouldn't it be great to have a mock application that pretends to be a SMTP server and shows you what you sent immediately? That is exactly what SMTP4DEV does.

SMTP4DEV is free and you can download it from CodePlex at http://smtp4dev.codeplex.com. All you have to do is unpack and run, and make sure your mock SMTP server is listening.

Once you have SMTP4DEV running and listening, you can use the sample C# code to send an e-mail to your mock SMTP server. Notice the From and To e-mail addresses; they can be anything.

Execute the sample C# code and your test e-mail will immediately show in SMTP4DEV.

Now stop listening on port 25 and execute the same sample C# code again. Since SMTP server is no longer available, SmtpClient will throw an exception.

 

Merit Solutions, a leading IT services company that helps clients transform their business, announced today that its Risk Management Suite is now Certified for Microsoft Dynamics, which signifies that the solution has met Microsoft Corp.’s highest standard for partner-developed software. By successfully meeting all certification requirements, the Risk Management Suite can now carry the distinct Certified for Microsoft Dynamics logo. It is the first Microsoft Dynamics GP-based Audit Trail and Electronic Signature application to achieve this distinct certification.

Solutions that are Certified for Microsoft Dynamics have demonstrated development quality and compatibility with the Microsoft Dynamics product on which they run by passing rigorous software testing for Microsoft Dynamics performed by VeriTest (a service of Lionbridge). In addition, the Microsoft Dynamics partner must have customers who are successfully using the certified solution and are willing to recommend it and be a Gold Certified Partner in the Microsoft Partner Program.

For customers, Certified for Microsoft Dynamics helps identify Microsoft Dynamics solutions that have been tested for compatibility, meet high quality standards, and are successfully used by existing customers. This certification represents a significant step in elevating the standard for partner-developed software solutions for industry-specific business applications. By highlighting these solutions, Microsoft also creates new opportunities for partners to expand their reseller channel and to better promote their packaged Microsoft Dynamics solution for customers.

“This milestone demonstrates Merit Solutions’ commitment to delivering leading solutions and expertise for our customers,” said Doug Kennedy, vice president, Microsoft Dynamics Partners. “We congratulate Merit Solutions for meeting Microsoft’s highest standards of software quality and earning the CFMD distinction.”

The Risk Management Suite from Merit Solutions enables companies to manage financial, operational, and reporting risk to protect assets and maintain compliance with FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Audit Trails deliver strong tracking, tracing and reporting capabilities for business process changes that may result in risk. And with Electronic Signatures, preventative authorization controls can be activated at any place in the system where data is changed.

“Merit Solutions has always been committed to software excellence, and achieving Certified for Microsoft Dynamics status is a reflection of that commitment,” said Bill Burke, President, Merit Solutions. “This milestone also validates our dedication to providing regulated companies with the highest quality software solutions based on the Microsoft stack.”

Don't be fooled by the speculation going around about Merit Solutions' Microsoft Dynamics GP Risk Management Suite. Hear directly from Microsoft Dynamics Director of Product Management, Errol Schoenfish: Please Read: Official Risk Management Suite Transition Update

“All SMB products are going through a Pricing and Packaging simplification process to better meet the demands of the customers that we serve. Part of that process is identifying the functional elements that are best served by Microsoft and those that are best served by our broad and healthy partner ISV ecosystem through the Dynamics Marketplace. Microsoft has had a valued partnership with Merit Solutions for many years. The Risk Management Suite has been a great product for us and with Merit Solutions driving the product forward I am confident that it will continue to give customers value now and in the future. Merit Solutions is also just completing the CfMD process for GP Risk Management, and now represent the first GP based Audit Trails and Electronic Signatures products that are certified at this level of quality assurance.” Errol Schoenfish - Director Product Management, Microsoft Dynamics

I am thrilled to take this opportunity to welcome the 500+ customers who currently license the Microsoft Dynamics GP Risk Management Suite to the Merit Solutions family!

Merit Solutions is the original developer of the Microsoft Dynamics GP Risk Management Suite (Audit Trails and Electronic Signatures). Microsoft acquired the product from Merit Solutions back in 2005, and since then, they have included it as part of their core Microsoft Dynamics GP offering. However, Merit Solutions has always been the company developing new releases and upgrades for Microsoft.

In an effort to simplify packaging and pricing, Microsoft has decided to remove quite a few OEM products from their core Microsoft Dynamics offerings (official announcements will be made Sept. 1). However, Merit Solutions is thrilled to have this opportunity to further enhance and improve the Risk Management Suite with a better focus on our partners' and customers' needs - enabling us to keep moving the product forward and get newer versions to market quicker. As noted above, Merit Solutions has already made the investment in getting the Risk Management Suite Certified for Microsoft Dynamics (CfMD) - the first GP based Audit Trails and Electronic Signatures products to receive such recognition.

Merit Solutions is committed to keeping all customer experiences with the Risk Management Suite consistent with previous Microsoft engagements, and all partners and customers can count on Merit Solutions to provide the same level of support, quality, and reliability that was experienced with Microsoft in the past. View our Customer Satisfaction Scores and check out some of our Customer Quotes online to learn about our satisfied customers!

If you have any questions at all about the future of the Risk Management Suite, or our commitment to your satisfaction, please don’t hesitate to contact Merit Solutions at any time to get the truth and learn more about the future of your product!