ambush on air · 2026-04-27 · 6 min
Key moments - from our scoring
Substance score
38 / 100
Five dimensions, 20 points each
At Directions conference in Orlando, Aptean unveils App Central, an AI platform designed to address a critical gap in their customer base: organizations running on-premises Business Central who need modern AI capabilities but lack the readiness or business justification to migrate to Business Central Online. Bob Zwartz explains how Aptean built this solution by packaging intellectual property developed across verticals - food manufacturing, distribution, apparel, heavy equipment, and nutraceuticals - into a platform that connects AI agents directly to existing Business Central installations (supporting versions back to 2018). The platform offers both conversational AI (ask-and-answer) and pre-built agentic workflows covering supply chain, sales, finance, quality, inventory, procurement, and production efficiency. Aptean is now opening App Central to Microsoft partners facing the same challenge: a customer base comfortable with their existing on-premises infrastructure but demanding AI-driven insights. For partners, this represents a new revenue stream and competitive story when talking to installed-base customers resistant to cloud migration.
App Central connects AI agents and conversational interfaces directly to on-premises Business Central installations via API integration, enabling users to ask questions and access pre-built agentic workflows without requiring migration to Business Central Online.
The platform includes agents covering supply chain, sales, finance, quality, inventory, procurement, and production efficiency, built from Aptean's IP and experience across manufacturing verticals like food, distribution, apparel, and heavy equipment.
App Central is being tested and deployed backward to Business Central 2018 (and potentially Division 2018), allowing it to serve the large installed base of on-premises customers.
Many partners face the same challenge Aptean does: customers with deep operational investment in on-premises Business Central who need AI but won't migrate to the cloud, making App Central a new revenue opportunity and competitive story for the partner channel.
It addresses the gap between customers needing modern AI capabilities and the business reality that many on-premises customers have established processes, comfort, and durability in legacy systems and are not ready to move to the cloud.
Our reviewer’s read on each dimension, with quotes from the episode.
The episode is almost entirely product announcement and logistics (booth numbers, session times) with minimal substantive insight. There are no novel frameworks, data points, or operational lessons for B2B operators - just surface-level descriptions of a platform's existence and features without depth on how it actually works or why the approach matters.
So what's new is, um, so we had this problem with or this challenge that we overcame with a whole bunch of our clients.
They log into the platform, they ask the questions, we connect it to the getting techy here, but I like servers.
The concept of adding AI to legacy on-premises systems via a new platform is straightforward vertical extension, not genuinely novel. The 'ask and answer' functionality plus pre-built agent library are standard patterns in the current AI landscape with no unique twist or contrarian insight.
There is the ask and answer, of course, but it's more than that.
it's like exactly like a library
Bob Zwartz is a Director of AI Solutions at Aptean, which indicates mid-level seniority with relevant domain experience (cloud infrastructure security background). However, he is not a founder, C-suite executive, or seasoned practitioner with broad operator credibility, and the discussion reads more like a product pitch than a deep operational perspective.
my name is Bob Zwartz. I work for a company called Aptian and I'm the director of AI Solutions.
I did a lot of cloud infrastructure security. So a lot of the same problems you see on AI.
The episode names specific verticals (food manufacturing, distribution, apparel, heavy equipment, nutraceuticals) and specific Business Central versions (Division 2018, BC 14, 16, 18), plus specific agent categories (supply chain, sales, finance, quality, inventory, procurement, production efficiency). However, it lacks concrete customer wins, adoption metrics, timelines, or quantified impact.
We've written applications that extend Business Central to add that vertical expertise. We do that for food manufacturing, distribution, apparel, heavy equipment and then some uh, nutraceuticals.
we plan to go all the way back maybe to Division 2018
The host asks basic open-ended questions ('What do you do?', 'What's going on?') but rarely digs deeper or pushes back on claims. When technical details emerge (e.g., 'getting techy here, but I like servers'), the host accepts vague answers without follow-up. There is no genuine pressure-testing or exploration of risk, trade-offs, or competitive landscape.
Tell me a little bit about the platform.
Is it like a library mindset?
Computed from the transcript - who did the talking, and the words that came up most.
Live from Directions North America, this episode of AMBUSH On Air features a launch conversation with Bob from Aptean on their newest product: Apcentral. This isn’t just a product announcement. It’s a signal. In this episode, we break down what Apcentral is, why Aptean is bringing it to market now, and what it tells us about the evolution of ERP, ISV product strategy, and partner-led growth in the Microsoft ecosystem. As B2B buyers continue to demand simpler, more connected, and more intuitive experiences, ISVs are being forced to rethink how their solutions are packaged, positioned, and delivered. You’ll hear: The thinking behind the Apcentral launch and what problem it’s solving How Aptean is adapting to modern buyer behavior and digital-first journeys What this means for Microsoft partners, ERP users, and the broader Dynamics ecosystem Why product strategy is becoming a competitive differentiator for ISVs in 2026 and beyond
Transcribed and scored by The B2B Podcast Index.
Speaker A: Hello, hello and welcome to this episode of Ambush on Air. I'm your host, Sam Bush and as always, bringing you topical content about sales, marketing and partnerships, all in the Microsoft Channel. I am live at Directions with my friend Bob and we are in sunny Orlando. It's so sunny that you can barely see us on the screen.
Speaker B: It is very sunny here.
Speaker A: How are you?
Speaker B: I'm good.
Speaker A: Good. Let's do a little intro. Who are you? What do you do?
Speaker B: Certainly. Uh, my name is Bob Zwartz. I work for a company called Aptian and I'm the director of AI Solutions.
Speaker A: Director of AI Solutions. How long has that been your job title?
Speaker B: I'd say about just under a year now.
Speaker A: Okay, so you guys are pretty, uh, forefront in moving that forward.
Speaker B: Moving quick. We're moving super quick.
Speaker A: Yeah. What were you doing before you were in AI?
Speaker B: I did a lot of cloud infrastructure security. So a lot of the same problems you see on AI. Where's my data? How's it getting around? We had similar conversations around cloud.
Speaker A: Okay, cool. I'm so excited to unpack a little bit about what you guys are doing at apptan.
Speaker B: Sure.
Speaker A: So give me a rundown. Um, what are you guys Base solution? What do you offer to the marketplace?
Speaker B: Sure. So if you think about um, Business Central, it's a wonderful, wonderful horizontal based erp.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker B: Um, we work with a ton of manufacturers who need that vertical expertise. So we've written applications that extend Business Central to add that vertical expertise. We do that for food manufacturing, distribution, apparel, heavy equipment and then some uh, nutraceuticals.
Speaker A: Interesting. Is your ah, head of sales or marketing here?
Speaker B: I think so.
Speaker A: Okay, perfect. They need to come to my session. Um, it is Wednesday at 12:45. It's called AI and ABM equals growth, the partner playbook for Microsoft partners essentially. Um, but it's all about micro verticals. So I feel like we could have a good little cheat sheet about it. Could be a really good fit. So, so you hear directions here. We're launching something. I hear there's something going on that's new. What's going on?
Speaker B: So what's new is, um, so we had this problem with or this challenge that we overcame with a whole bunch of our clients. We've taken that intellectual property, whether we've acquired it or rewritten it, taken it from division through Business Central and then all the way up to Business Central online. But we had a problem and that problem is that we have a lot of on premise customers.
Speaker A: Sure.
Speaker B: That, that uh, are not ready to move to Business Central online for whatever reason. Right. They've got business processes and the old
Speaker A: systems, durability in that system. Comfort person is not ready to give it.
Speaker B: Um, up.
Speaker A: All of that.
Speaker B: Yeah, exactly. And the challenge we had is these are some of our customers and uh, we wanted to bring um, AI to them. And uh, what we wound up doing is building a platform called App Central, which is our AI platform.
Speaker A: Okay.
Speaker B: And then we're able to bring this to on premises, um, Business Central clients.
Speaker A: Very cool.
Speaker B: Okay, so we're here today.
Speaker A: Go ahead.
Speaker B: Oh, I say we're here today to announce that and offer that to other partners because we think that those partners have that same challenge that we have where they've got some clients in the installed base they're just not moving to. They're just subset, they're comfortable, but they need AI. They need the latest and greatest.
Speaker A: Exactly.
Speaker B: Um, to run their business.
Speaker A: Totally. Is there something specific like is it agentic, is it ask an answer? Tell me a little bit about the platform.
Speaker B: Yes, both. So, um, there is the ask and answer, of course, but it's more than that. You know, they log into the platform, they ask the questions, we connect it to the getting techy here, but I like servers. And then ultimately to their Business central.
Speaker A: Okay.
Speaker B: We take care of all the, the work that needs to be done to make that happen. And then because we know the verticals really well, we've built a whole bunch of agents for our existing customer base think will be useful for other clients.
Speaker A: Okay, uh, is it like a library mindset?
Speaker B: Yeah, it's like exactly like a library.
Speaker A: So find the agent. Find or use a prompt to find the agent.
Speaker B: Yeah, exactly. So well, they'll go to go to their partner. Their partner would partner with us. And uh, we've got a whole bunch of pre built ones. So they'll cover supply chain sales, finance, quality, inventory, procurement, production efficiency. So we've written those for our actual clients and we think that they'll be useful and we've tested them to be useful for um, call it other versions of Business Central. We plan to go all the way back maybe to Division 2018. We're still watching the testing on that but BC 14, 16, 18 because again we have a lot of our IP that's been written on that. They're still sitting on premise. So we want to extend that uh, to those um, to those clients. We think it'll be useful not just for us but for other clients with Business Central.
Speaker A: Yeah. Providing value for the masses as they say.
Speaker B: That's our ass Yes.
Speaker A: I love it.
Speaker B: Come talk to us. Come to our booth.
Speaker A: What's, uh, your booth number? We, we don't know the booth is in there.
Speaker B: But it's in there. Right there.
Speaker A: It's in there. You'll find them.
Speaker B: Um, we're in G1 and, uh, our session is tomorrow.
Speaker A: Okay, what time?
Speaker B: 2:00'? Clock? 2 to 2:30.
Speaker A: Okay, 2 to 2:30. Get in here and see the app in Central or App Central Central. How it can work across your kind of customer base. So I'm excited for you guys. I'm happy to meet you and get to know a little bit about the solution. So I appreciate the time sitting down. Is there anything else you want to share before we kind of log off and get running?
Speaker B: No, I think the only thing is, like, once you come and talk to us, you're going to say, hey, you know, I've got now a solution for those on premises customers that aren't able to move to Business Central online. And, uh, when they go talk to those customers, they'll have a whole new story to tell and whole new offering.
Speaker A: Love it.
Speaker B: Maybe a new source of revenue for that partner.
Speaker A: Uh, yeah, we're, we're in this really weird economic time where a new revenue stream sounds much needed.
Speaker B: Oh, yes.
Speaker A: Uh, well, I love it. I'm excited for you guys. I can't wait to sit back down this time next year and talk about how it's gone.
Speaker B: Yep.
Speaker A: And how many customers and how many
Speaker B: partners and how many partners that we've brought forward with us.
Speaker A: Yeah, we'll call it around 2 next year.
Speaker B: Sounds good.
Speaker A: I'll be right here. Sounds great. All right. Thank you guys so much for listening today. It is a pleasure to be in your earbuds. I love directions. This is my favorite conference. So I'm happy to be here with all my friends and just met a new one, Bob. So as always, thank you for listening. And as Sam Bush says, party on. Cheers.
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