Columbus’ North American revenues shot up 50.7 percent for the year ended December 31 with a healthy contribution from the purchase of First Tech Direct in March. The Danish Dynamics reseller reported North American EBITDA of just under $3 million, a 17.2-percent rise from 2011 while North American revenue hit about $183.3 million. In its 2012 annual report, Columbus was sparse on North American numbers commenting only that “a satisfactory organic growth has been realized in North America.”

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.