SMBs are flocking to cloud-based ERP, and those in the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ecosystem are no exception.
As more organizations retire on-prem servers and adopt Business Central Cloud, they often discover that the ERP’s native reporting capabilities, useful as they are, don’t always keep pace with finance teams’ and executives’ demands.
To understand how reporting is evolving in our new cloud-based, AI-obsessed world, PartnerTalks dug through independent analyses and sat down with Anthony Bonaduce, co-founder of Cosmos Data Technologies. Cosmos markets its software as the first reporting tool “born in the cloud” for Business Central Cloud. So, with Bonaduce’s help, let’s examine what cloud reporting is, why it matters and how vendors like Cosmos shape the space.
Watch PartnerTalks’ interview with Bonaduce below.
The Basics: What Is Cloud Reporting?
Traditional reporting software was designed to run on a local server. Users installed the program, pointed it at their ERP database and manually refreshed data when they needed to build financial statements or ad‑hoc reports.
On the other hand, cloud reporting is — well — cloud-based. The report authoring tools and data sources live in the cloud and users access them through a web browser. The solution’s service provider maintains the infrastructure and the software scales on demand. As a result, there’s no need for in-house hardware or complex installations.
Cloud reporting solutions are usually sold as subscriptions, with automatic upgrades and security patches delivered by the vendor.
However, we must distinguish between cloud-native (also called fully cloud-based) applications and cloud-enabled ones. In the former, the developers built the application from the ground up for multi-tenant, browser-based deployment. In the latter, the same tool used on the local server migrates to the cloud, often retaining legacy architecture and performance limitations.
Bonaduce explained that many popular reporting tools for Dynamics NAV, GP and SL were ported to the cloud to work with Business Central, but because they were built for on‑premises data stores, they can suffer when pulling information from a cloud ERP.
Why Move Reporting to the Cloud?
Reduced infrastructure costs are a major draw.
Moving from on‑premises software to the cloud eliminates the need to purchase and maintain servers and hardware.
Cloud reporting tools are scalable, too.
They allow organizations to add or remove users and processing capacity as needed. That’s especially helpful when transaction volumes fluctuate.
They offer improved accessibility and collaboration tools.
Staff and external stakeholders can access reports from anywhere on any device, as long as they have an internet connection.
And they’re easy to maintain.
Cloud users always run the latest software without needing manual upgrades.
Considerations and Potential Drawbacks
Cloud reporting is not a panacea.
Migrating sensitive data to off‑premises servers raises security and compliance concerns, since the organization is dependent on the provider’s security practices. Businesses must ensure that their provider offers robust encryption, access controls and third‑party backups. Other drawbacks include potential service outages, limited customization due to multi‑tenant architectures and the need for a reliable internet connection. Because some cloud solutions restrict custom database access, companies might also need to hire additional front‑office staff to handle manual workarounds.
The Business Central Cloud Context
Microsoft’s push for cloud ERP is accelerating.
It’s offering Business Central Cloud as a subscription service with automatic updates and a 99.9 per cent uptime guarantee. Built‑in tools such as financial reporting and analysis views remain available, and integration with Power BI delivers dashboards and visualizations. Generative AI is beginning to play a role, as well. Microsoft’s wave 2 release plan for October 2025-March 2026 introduces intelligent agents that can generate reports, run them on a schedule and send the output by email. Report authors will also be able to edit financial report definitions in Excel, schedule reports across dimensions and automatically update row and column definitions.
Third-Party Solutions
As Business Central Cloud adoption has grown, independent software vendors have stepped in to fill reporting gaps. Cosmos Data Technologies, which launched in 2021, says it was first on the scene.
“We considered ourselves the first and only born‑in‑the‑cloud, built‑for‑the‑cloud reporting and analytics solution for Business Central,” said Bonaduce, Cosmos’ co-founder. He says that he noticed that tools built for on-prem ERPs struggled with the latency of pulling data from the cloud. He and his company’s co-founders saw that as a “white space” in the Microsoft ecosystem for them to colour in.
Now, Cosmos is growing rapidly.
Bonaduce said Cosmos is adding around 25 customers per month, with more than 130 Microsoft Partner resellers signed up. Within a year, he expects his company’s monthly growth rate to accelerate to 35-40 customers. He said he credits Cosmos’ success, in part, to the Partner channel.
“People jokingly call us ‘the closer,’ because when CFOs see they can take ownership of reporting, they get excited and it helps close deals,” he said. Cosmos’ partner program allows partners to sell the software and earn services revenue while strengthening the Business Central offering.
Cosmos’ Major Update
On August 25, Cosmos will release a massive upgrade.
Bonaduce said the company has rewritten about 80 percent of its product, adding more than 25 new features.
One highlight, he said, is Partners’ new ability to templatize their intellectual property. In roughly 25 minutes, a Partner will be able to deliver a reporting and analytics suite with a pre‑built data warehouse, Power BI dashboards and vertical‑specific reports. Cosmos plans to showcase its new version at Summit and Directions EMEA later this year.
It’s also expanding its global footprint, with distribution in the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
It’s a big year for a company that’s less than five years old.
Cloud reporting has moved from an emerging trend to a competitive market. The move from on-prem servers to Business Central Cloud, driven by subscription pricing, automatic updates and a 99.9 per cent uptime guarantee, is hard to resist. Organizations that embrace cloud reporting can benefit from lower infrastructure costs, greater scalability, better collaboration and features like AI‑assisted report creation. That said, they must choose their provider wisely. Data security, provider reliability and limited customization are real concerns.
Cosmos, for its part, seems to be working hard to put those concerns to rest.
