It’s a very long time since I last wrote one of these “Status of the Dynamics community” updates here in my blog. In fact last time was on July 1st. 2009! And in October 2015 the Dynamics User Group can celebrate it’s 20 years anniversary! 
Compared to 2009, not that much has really changed, except I feel that it’s now even more difficult to find your way around in the Dynamics communities. In 2009 Microsoft’s own Dynamics Communities was still in its beginning. There were a lot of activity in especially their CRM and GP forums, but not that much going on in AX and NAV. Here users were still using mostly DUG and Mibuso.
Today the Dynamics Communities is were new users typically asks their first question. Only if they don’t get a reply within a very short time, then they post on either DUG or Mibuso (when it comes to NAV and AX). Less and less users posts in the old “3rd party” forums.
When Microsoft first acquired Navision Software with AX and NAV in 2002, the community was separate from the products. There were no direct communication between the community and the people developing the systems. Only between Navision Software and it’s partners.
Microsoft changed that! They introduced the MVP awards to the Dynamics world, and now started actively working with the community. For all those of us, who had been active in the Dynamics community this was great. Finally we felt that we were appreciated for our work. An although we do it because we love it, then it’s always nice to receive a thank you!
In the first years the old AX and NAV product groups at the old “Navision Software” was struggling to find out how to work with us. Later I feel that they also have come to appreciate the community, and not only see us as someone who always complains.
Now there’s a high level communication from the product groups at Microsoft and the community (primary MVP’s). We participate in online meetings with the product group and in all the activity connected with the new releases.
That’s all great, and we appreciate it a lot!
But what happens in the part of the community not dominated by MVP’s and the superstar bloggers? What about the normal Dynamics developers, consultants and end-users?
As I see it, then basically all of the old “3rd party” communities, a becoming less and less popular. Most new users start by using Microsoft’s own Dynamics Communities (community.dynamics.com). Quite natural, if you think about.. If you went out to buy a new expensive Audi car, then you would normally take it to the authorized dealer, not the local “no-name” car shop on the corner. Not that the local car shop could not do the same job. But just to be sure, then you go the the Audi dealer. Same thing with Microsoft Dynamics. If the users know that they can get the help they are looking for within Microsoft, then they really have no reason to go else where!
So we can ask the question: Do we still need to have the 3rd party Microsoft Dynamics forums or is our time over?