Microsoft Dynamics AX Enterprise Portal Customer Self Service Scenarios

Today I got an email from a partner about Customer Self Service Scenarios in Microsoft Dynamics AX Enterprise Portal. Basically it is about how the Enterprise Portal platform move to SharePoint plays out for Customer Self Service Scenarios. Since most of the SharePoint documents and that of EP covers mainly about employee or intranet portal, the above question arises.

Below is my response

Microsoft Dynamics AX Enterprise Portal 4.0 supports Internet facing scenarios.

We have two configurations,
• One is for anyone on the web (anonymous user) to view the product catalog, participate in surveys and marketing campaigns.
• Second one is for authenticated users for their self service needs such as product catalog and shopping cart functionality for customers to place and track orders, update contact and address info and such. 

If you have other storefronts or e-Commerce solutions, we also have the integration framework to integrate AX in those scenarios.

In 4.0, we have tools to make the deployment of SharePoint based EP on internet topologies easier.

Below are some of the links to online documentation

Setting up and configuring Enterprise Portal   http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/AxOnline/html/02534ae5-d745-4e30-97ab-7bfae52c6699.asp

Create a public Enterprise Portal site for guest access http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/AxOnline/html/a2dfbe2c-a906-43b7-9ea7-e71600369a4a.asp

PN Config : http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=472D0D26-D183-4845-89E9-EF9012B1E890&displaylang=en

Administer product groups http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/AxOnline/html/8bddcde1-9729-4f4b-8a95-88853459c278.asp

Set up product group and item presentations http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/AxOnline/html/4dd2d889-6626-4fda-8b11-41cdc02e9d9b.asp