The Register: Microsoft confirms Navision acquisition "Microsoft hasn't achieved what it set out to achieve with Great Plains," said David Turner, international marketing manager at financial applications house, the Coda Group. "They talked about global reach but a year on they don't seem to have achieved much. It is an admission of failure that they had to look for something in Europe." Certainly Microsoft has not increased its penetration of the European business application market - 85% of Great Plains revenue still comes from North America, while 86% of Navision revenue comes from Europe. ... On a competitor front, the vendor most severely effected by the merger will be UK-based mid market specialist Sage whose shares dropped on news of the deal. However, SAP AG, which recently acquired mid market player TopManage specifically to target the mid-market will also be affected. Although other vendors such as Oracle Corp and PeopleSoft Inc have also made the mid-market a priority they are in less direct competition as they are aiming at the top end of the sector."