Microsoft plans to release a new version of its Dynamics AX ERP software in the third quarter of this year.

The vendor said today that "AX 6" - as it's been dubbed - would come loaded with a "unique model-driven, layered architecture" to speed up software development and cut back on coding.

All of which is an effort to improve maintenance and upgrade options for ISVs, said Redmond.

In September 2009, Microsoft said it planned to fold four new technologies into its Dynamics AX resource planning software platform, after it acquired a quartet of small companies.

MS said at the time that it had bought a handful of "industry solutions" that would bulk out its MS Dynamics AX product, which is aimed at the enterprise market.

It looks like those plans have now come to fruition with the announcement of Dynamics AX 6.

Microsoft said it already had more 100 ISVs on its books globally, who have been working on adopting AX 6 over the past six months.

The company, whose current Dynamics offering is AX 2009, said a technical preview version of AX 6 would be pushed out next month and added that general availability should hit in Q3 of 2011. ®