The FINANCIAL -- Microsoft launches its newest version of Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail, software that will help businesses handle just about anything the changing world of retail can throw at them, be it rapid expansion, complex pricing and inventory, or evolving means of customer interaction, according to Microsoft .

Retail used to mean walking into a brick-and-mortar store, browsing the goods and displays, and hearing the ding of the cash register upon checkout, but things aren’t so simple anymore.Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 for Retail, the new version of Microsoft ’s end-to-end software solution for midsize and enterprise retailers, launches in 25 countries today. Experience the virtual launch here.

Microsoft Dynamics aims to help retailers tackle a growing number of business considerations, including mobile and Web sales, social media, rapid growth, global distribution, multi-faceted customer interaction, modernized in-store experiences, and complex pricing and inventory.

The newest version of Microsoft Dynamics is the ultimate control panel for a retailer to easily automate, streamline, control, and adapt various aspects of their business simultaneously, said Michael Griffiths, global director of retail and distribution for Microsoft Dynamics.Griffiths said this can help retailers be true to the software’s name – more dynamic – in a number of areas. Customers in 30 countries have adopted Microsoft Dynamics for this reason, he said, including DAVIDsTEA, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Sephora , Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, Malabar Gold, Turisme de Barcelona, Carol’s Daughter, Sally Beauty Supply, Ashley Furniture Industries, and, of course, Microsoft stores.

Microsoft is in a unique position, in that it’s the only major organization on the planet that sells consumer products, that is a retailer, and that offers a comprehensive line of products to help other businesses sell their products and other retailers get their products to market, Griffiths said.

That can mean sales associates using tablet PCs rather than standing at a fixed cash register to get more face time with customers. It can mean offering promotions, discounts, or coupons targeted to social networks. It can mean offering customers a seamless experience online and in person.

Microsoft Dynamics also helps retailers do heavy lifting on the business’s back-end without having to do complicated coding. Want to add a new retail location? Microsoft Dynamics lets users see their entire business graphically, and even easily drag and drop graphics to create new store locations in the system or to add new distribution channels.This has come in handy for one early adopter, Mattress Firm.

The largest mattress retailer in the U.S., Mattress Firm needed a solution that could accommodate its aggressive expansion plans while also helping employees provide the best customer service possible, said Patty Wade, the company’s chief information officer and vice president of strategic planning.Wade said many retailers – especially in the mattress and furniture industries – piece together their IT business applications for things such as sales, inventory, and distribution, and sometimes need even more software to help integrate and manage all of those various applications.

With more than 800 locations, 30 warehouses, a corporate headquarters in Houston, and a satellite corporate office, it was crucial that Mattress Firm find a solution that would help with consistency while growing and adapting along with the company.

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