Reports from the partner Q&A at Microsoft Convergence had VP Doug Kennedy acknowledging that there is a great deal of unhappiness in the channel. But whatever steps are taken in that direction, Microsoft seem unlikely to address the major complaint, plummeting margins under the new partner agreement. During the course of the conference, several resellers said their margins had gone from 50 percent to 20 percent. “Microsoft drove me away,” said one who was attending the Acumatica reception.

Epicor Software has sued Alternative Technology Solutions alleging infringement of Epicor's copyright and intellectual property. Epicor also says that Aliso Viejo, Calif.-based ATS is falsely holding itself out as an authorized reseller and seeks actual and punitive damages. At Microsoft Convergence, a member of the Dynamics channel who knows Alternative has a high regard for that company’s CEO Vivian Keena and said the company has made a living fixing “screwed up” implementations of Epicor 9.

Online vendor Acumatica continues to build its executive team with the naming of Jeff Wilson as CFO. Wilson had been CFO of Microvision, a Redmond, Wash.-based company since August 1991. It is merely the latest in a series of executive hirings over the last year. And just since the beginning of 2013, Kirkland, Wash.-based Acumatica has hired a VP of engineering, a VP of partner solutions and promoted its COO to CEO.

Tribridge, which has been lagging in the Master VAR game, has signed two sales affiliates. The Tampa, Fla.-based Dynamics reseller signed its second and third sales affiliates after having picked up only one other in the program’s first year. Joining the network are CBR Technology and MIC Business Solutions. There are three Master VARs in the United States, including the SBS Group and Socius, with another 10 or so in other countries.