This week marks a special milestone for Advantage. On 26 August, we celebrate 27 years in business.
When we started in 1999, we were a Great Plains reseller, alongside IT services. Microsoft acquired Great Plains in 2001, and Navision the following year, acquisitions that marked the beginning of our journey with Microsoft and shaped Advantage into the business it is today: a provider of Microsoft Dynamics 365, Business Central, Power Platform and managed IT solutions.
A lot has changed over those 27 years, but our focus has remained the same: helping businesses use technology to work more effectively.
We have continued to grow and adapt, moving from supplying business systems to delivering joined-up solutions that address real business challenges. Throughout that journey, our clients have remained at the centre of what we do.
From sector expertise to Industry AI Accelerators
Last year, as we celebrated our 26th anniversary, we set out our plans to build deeper expertise in a small number of key sectors: Accountancy and Advisory, Care Homes, Telecare, Travel, and Mergers and Acquisitions.
Over the past 12 months, those plans have taken shape as a suite of Industry AI Accelerators. Each one is built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform and developed around the needs of the sectors we know best.
- EdgeAdvisory™ helps accountancy and advisory firms replace outdated systems, automate compliance and client billing, and spend more time on valuable advisory work.
- EdgeCare™ helps care providers simplify their operations, improve oversight and meet the demands of an increasingly regulated sector.
- EdgeVoyage™ gives travel businesses the connected, scalable systems they need to respond to changing markets and customer expectations.
- EdgeFusion™ helps organisations manage the technology and data challenges involved in mergers and acquisitions.
- EdgeRedi™ supports telecare providers with more responsive, reliable and connected ways of delivering technology-enabled care.
Each accelerator is underpinned by the Advantage Edge™, our approach to making AI a practical part of Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform solutions from the outset.
Making AI practical for our clients
Our aim this year has not simply been to talk about AI. We have focused on helping clients understand where it can make a genuine difference to their organisations.
We have expanded our Intelligence Hub with buyer’s guides, comparison pages and practical resources covering each of our accelerators.
We have also taken the conversation to events across the UK, exhibiting at Accountex with EdgeAdvisory™ and at the Care Show with EdgeCare™. We also hosted AI in Action: Unlocking Business Value with Microsoft Copilot, giving businesses a clearer view of what Copilot can realistically do and how issues such as governance, security and permissions should be handled.
Looking ahead
After 27 years, we are still looking forward.
By combining our long-standing Microsoft partnership with a deeper understanding of the industries we serve, we can continue developing solutions that deliver real value for our clients.
Thank you to every client, partner and colleague who has been part of our story so far.
Here’s to 27 years, and to what comes next.
