Dallas Cowboys turn to Microsoft for database consolidation
The NFL's Dallas Cowboys have tapped Microsoft Dynamics Technologies to consolidate data across the Club's business arms.
Microsoft Dynamics AX will serve as the foundation of the company's infrastructure, while Microsoft Dynamics CRM is intended to help the football club create a single view of its customer.
Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System and SharePoint Portal Server 2003 will also enter the mix. Retail Management will serve as a central control point for Cowboys retail stores while Portal Server provides routing forms and intranet communication.
The move to create one system across its businesses comes as the team enters a growth period. A new stadium is scheduled to open in 2009. Other Cowboys businesses include the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, a medical MRI center, oil and gas companies and 35 retail stores that sell Cowboys merchandise.
The team already was using Microsoft Dynamics NAV for accounting, but other business processes had been managed by a variety of desktop databases and other disparate methods.
After developing an IT strategy in 2005, the Cowboys started searching for an integrated system. The company considered programs from SAP, Oracle Corp., JD Edwards and PeopleSoft - among others - before deciding on Microsoft Dynamics.
The Cowboys cited comprehensive supply chain management, implementation support and the ability to consolidate both revenue and consumer data as selling points for the Microsoft system. Pete Walsh, head of technology for the Cowboys, said in a statement that he believes customer data alone will help the team discover new integrated revenue streams.
