Attending Microsoft Directions North America 2025, held from April 7–9 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, was one of the most valuable experiences of the year. It was far from a typical industry conference, and it felt more like stepping into the heart of the Dynamics 365 partner community, where experts and solution providers shared knowledge of what’s next for Business Central.
Directions NA is unique in that it’s built by partners, for partners, with a clear mission: to empower those of us working closely with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central to connect and grow together. It’s not just about the technology; it’s about everything that enables partners to succeed—product updates, go-to-market strategies, ISV integrations, partner enablement resources, and proven best practices from real-world implementations. Whether you’re a consultant, developer, executive, sales or marketing strategist, there’s something here for everyone.
Key Takeaways from Directions NA 2025
With so much valuable content packed into three days, here’s our recap of the key takeaways we’re bringing back from Directions NA 2025:
Customer Base Growth
Business Central has surpassed 45,000 customers. This rapid growth highlights just how widely the platform is being adopted and reflects Microsoft’s strong commitment to expanding its reach. The acquisition of the businesscentral.com domain is a great example of efforts to push product visibility.
Copilot and AI
Microsoft introduced several new Copilot features at Directions NA 2025, all aimed at making Business Central more intuitive and efficient for everyday users without requiring a technical background.
Data Summarization: Copilot can now pull together summaries from large or complex data sets in seconds. This makes it easier to spot trends and insights without having to dig through reports or know advanced analytics tools.
Sales Order Agents: Routine tasks like creating sales orders are now faster and more accurate. Copilot can pull information directly from emails or uploaded documents to generate orders automatically, cutting down on manual entry and saving valuable time.
Add-On Insights: Users can now ask Copilot to explain what specific extensions or add-ons do. This helps everyone from IT admins to end users better understand how their system is set up and how different tools work together behind the scenes.
Sustainability Journal Suggestions: In line with Microsoft’s growing focus on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), Copilot now offers suggestions for sustainability journal entries. It’s a small but meaningful step toward helping businesses track and improve their environmental impact as part of day-to-day operations.
Read: What’s new and planned for Dynamics 365 Business Central
Copilot Security
Your business data, prompts (inputs) and Copilot’s responses (outputs or results):
- Are not viewed by Microsoft
- Are not available to other customers
- Are not used to train or improve Microsoft AI models or any third-party products or services (such as OpenAI models)
- Are not stored outside your organization’s compliance boundary
Copilot Studio
In addition to these features, Microsoft also introduced Copilot Studio. This toolkit gives partners and developers the ability to build, customize, and deploy their own Copilot experiences tailored to specific business needs. This kind of flexibility makes it easier to bring AI into the day-to-day work of specific teams, whether it’s streamlining approvals, simplifying data entry, or generating custom insights on demand. To help ensure these custom solutions are reliable and production-ready, Microsoft also enhanced the Business Central Test Toolkit with new features specifically for testing Copilot extensions. These tools give partners confidence that the AI functionality they’re building performs consistently, integrates smoothly, and delivers a high-quality experience for end users.
Why Events Like Directions NA Matter for Microsoft Partners
For Microsoft partners, attending events like Directions North America is a strategic investment in long-term growth, technical alignment, and staying relevant in the evolving Microsoft ecosystem. These events are where meaningful updates happen, relationships are built, and new ideas take shape, all within the context of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 community.
- Staying Informed: Understanding the latest developments ensures we can offer up-to-date solutions to our clients. Events like Directions NA give us direct access to product updates, insights from Microsoft leadership, and clear guidance on how to align with Microsoft’s evolving roadmap. Having this kind of access makes it easier to stay one step ahead and support our clients more effectively as technology continues to shift.
- Networking: Connecting with other partners and ISVs is one of the most valuable parts of attending Directions NA. Beyond the sessions and keynotes, the event creates space for meaningful, in-person conversations that aren’t possible through webinars or online forums. It’s a rare opportunity to ask questions directly, share challenges, and learn how others solve similar problems. These interactions often spark future collaborations, strategic partnerships, and new business opportunities.
- Professional Development: Exposure to a wide range of sessions at Directions NA plays a key role in strengthening our team’s skills and overall knowledge base. It’s a chance to hear directly from Microsoft experts and stay updated with evolving best practices. This kind of hands-on learning helps our team stay sharp, adapt to change quickly, and bring even greater value to our clients.
Final Thoughts
Directions North America 2025 was a truly valuable experience that reinforced the importance of continuous learning and community engagement within the Microsoft Dynamics ecosystem. From the latest AI-driven Copilot features to updates on Business Central’s expanding footprint, the event delivered both clarity and momentum for partners looking to grow and evolve alongside Microsoft.
One of the strongest themes throughout the conference was Microsoft’s AI-first approach. Sessions throughout the event encouraged partners to go beyond simply using AI tools and start building custom AI agents tailored to their own workflows and client needs.
The message is clear: AI is no longer optional. It’s now a core part of how Business Central operates, and it’s changing how businesses get work done.
For partners looking to stay ahead, attending such events is highly recommended. I’m walking away with new ideas, deeper relationships, and a stronger understanding of where Business Central is headed—and I’m already looking forward to what next year will bring.
For more information about future events, visit the Directions North America website.
What’s Next: Catch Us at Directions Asia and EMEA 2025
With Directions North America wrapped up, we’re already looking ahead to what’s next. We’re excited to share that we’ll be attending Directions Asia 2025 this May in Bangkok, followed by Directions EMEA in November in Poznań.
If you’re planning to attend Directions Asia or EMEA, we’d love to connect. Let’s continue the conversation, exchange ideas, and explore how we can grow together in this evolving ecosystem.
More to Read:
Highlights from Directions EMEA 2024
The Future of Technology and Business: Insights from Directions Conference 2023
