We will now talk about the features introduced in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018; some are completely new, while others are functional optimizations already present in previous releases.

There are many interesting features in Microsoft Dynamics NAV. I have decided to report some that I consider to be important and that need to be borne in mind with regard to projects. Anyone wanting to use Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018 or Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central must be aware of these features in order to use them in projects. These features are outlined in the following diagram:

There are many things that have changed in the new release of Microsoft Dynamics NAV. A number of things have disappeared, some have changed, some have remained identical to Dynamics NAV 2016, seen in the previous edition of this book, and a bunch of new functionalities and improvements have been added.

The first thing that users will see is the new look and feel of Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Microsoft has implemented a metro-style design across all of their product lines. Microsoft Dynamics NAV is no different. The basic metro design is essentially focused on the content of the application, and not its graphics.

Several IT-related changes have been introduced with the release of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018, including the following:

• Easier installation and deployment
• Easier administration
• New clients
• New services

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018 includes an updated server administration tool for administering Dynamics NAV Server.

It is a snap-in for the Microsoft Management Console (MMC). When installing the server option, the server administration tool is a default feature.

Once the server option is installed, you will find it on your Windows Start menu with all the other Microsoft Dynamics NAV components installed on the same machine.

From the server administration...

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018 has introduced many architectural changes, but also a number of updated application functionalities. As already mentioned, since they are interesting, I decided to report on them in this edition of the book as well.

Some of the features in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018 that are new or improved from previous versions will now be illustrated. Users who will use Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018 should be aware that they exist.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018 introduces a number of changes compared with the previous versions of the application. These changes are applicable to all the application areas; there have been changes to the client in the way it accesses the application, to the functionality, to the way development is executed, and there have also been IT-related changes.

In this chapter, we went through most of the relevant changes concerning an implementation introduced in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018 and some interesting features from the previous releases.

In the next chapter, we will examine a number of general considerations relating to Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, such as the data model used in the application, the way posting routines are developed, and the SIFT technology.