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Microsoft Dynamics GP or Great Plains eConnect is a very convenient tool for integrating various data sources to Great Plains modules.  The main components and interfaces include  .NET managed code assembly,  Microsoft BizTalk® Application Integration Component (AIC), Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ) services.  Together they enable applications to programmatically interact with Dynamics GP. 

There are many external applications like Excel, Access, text, web storefronts, web services, point-of-sale systems, or legacy applications can be integrated with Dynamics GP.  The external applications can perform actions like creating, updating, retrieving, and deleting documents and transactions in Dynamics GP.   Internally, eConnect uses XML documents for communications and data conversion, business rules are enforced at the same time.  An XML schema specifies the data that is included in each type of XML document.

eConnect can help if you are using General Ledger, Accounts Receivables, Accounts Payables, Sales, Purchasing, Inventory, Project Accounting, Fixed Assets and many other modules.  You just need to provide the correct interface, data types and format of documents, and an interface can be created with programming tools like Visual Basic and C#.

One of the important features is if it is used with Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ) services, you can automate it to run without interaction.  Another option is to create an executable file (exe) and schedule it with Windows or Sql Server Scheduler.

eConnect can interface more than one source of data which make it very easy to interface with.  Also, with the built-in business rules to create and update data in Dynamics GP, making it very time saving for developers to create interfacing programs.

All Great Plains or Dynamics GP windows and reports are ready to customize, you can use modifiers to change the appearances or values.  If more advanced modification or customization is needed then VBA, Dexterity, Visual Studio Sdk are there to help.  Great Plains has been in the accounting software marketing for many years, and it is one of the first software to convert to Windows environment from DOS.  It is also one of the first accounting software to include the .Net in its tools, so the software has always been trying to be on top what are new with computers and operating systems.