What is Microsoft AppSource?
We cover what Microsoft AppSource is and how you can use it to leverage your company's goals. Continue reading to learn more!
What is Microsoft AppSource?
Nowadays we expect an app for everything. In 2016, Microsoft established its own app marketplace to broaden the selection of Office and Dynamics tools. These apps, or tools as we sometimes call them, are built to enhance solutions like Business Central, or Office. The best apps yield efficiency and process for users and are often created to address a common need, such as the need for a better Change Log, or greater control over quality test results. Microsoft AppSource is an online marketplace where businesses can discover, try, and buy trusted apps and services from verified publishers. It serves as a central hub for customers and partners to find solutions that enhance productivity, drive innovation, and integrate seamlessly with existing Microsoft technologies.
How do apps get published on Microsoft AppSource?
Each app goes through an intensive validation process to ensure it’s ready for one of Microsoft’s solutions. For example, all Business Central apps require easy access to support and clear onboarding documents for users. The publisher of each app is also responsible for updates so that their app remains current with the latest platform version. At Velosio, we choose to publish on AppSource because we want all users to have access to the tools they need to improve their systems.
What does it mean to be a Microsoft preferred solution?
A Microsoft preferred solution is a cloud application “selected for its quality, performance, and ability to address customer needs in a certain industry vertical or solution area.” These apps also go through additional validation testing with Microsoft and can be identified by a blue ribbon next to the app on its AppSource listing. We are proud that the team at Microsoft designated the following Velosio apps as preferred solutions: Silverware Quality Control, Silver Leaf CBC, and Change Tracking.
With great power comes great responsibility
As publishers, Microsoft AppSource is a wonderful resource. It gives us an effective way to introduce new users to our tools and to ensure that they are compatible with Business Central. But as partners, we also recognize our responsibility.
We want to ensure users don’t download anything harmful to their environment. Whenever we encounter users interested in our apps, we always connect with their partners. We know not every publisher will insist on this, but as partners ourselves, we also understand how crucial this step can be for successful implementation and use. Equipping your partner with your chosen app’s purpose and functionality will help ensure its compatibility in your environment. So when shopping, always remember to loop in your partner when preparing to install a new app. Your partner knows your system best and we want to support their efforts in making you, the user, successful.
What’s next?
We are eager to see how Microsoft AppSource develops and changes over time. With rolling updates to the cloud, every app can update quickly and adapt to the changing needs of businesses. We’ve already made significant improvements to our apps since they’ve been live, and we intend to keep improving them for users. We are not alone in this effort. Countless new apps are released to AppSource each day and the number and quality only will only increase. For everyone in the Microsoft community; partners, publishers, and users alike, AppSource means ongoing innovation for Dynamics and Office.
About Change Tracking
In 2018, we put Change Tracking on AppSource to help companies document changes to their records. We depend on version control in all other business documents. Change Tracking makes it more user friendly and provides greater accessibility to provide a thorough history of changes to a record that includes time, date, and the name of the person responsible for the change. With Change Tracking, we give companies ownership of their records, help them spot and correct errors, and offer open communication with the right people to discuss edits. To learn more, visit our Change Tracking support page.
About Quality Control
Quality Control (QC) helps customers organize their quality test results and data in one place. We recognized that the QC module worked particularly well for high-regulation industries, fast-moving consumer goods, and companies who wanted more control over their product. For many of our customers in the commodities space and beyond, quality is everything and our QC module helps them achieve new levels of excellence.