As Microsoft continues to innovate and improve its Dynamics ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software offerings, users of the tried and true Dynamics GP wonder what’s in store for their software solutions.
The good news is that Microsoft Dynamics GP is not disappearing any time soon. Microsoft has committed to supporting Dynamics GP later versions for several more years.
Microsoft says they will launch three updates to Dynamics GP each year through 2024. However, support may last longer than that. The three annual releases will include updated security, enhanced functionality, Intelligent Edge refinements, and new features requested by Dynamics GP users.
Right now, Microsoft supports Dynamics GP 2016 and later versions. If your Dynamics GP solution is older than that (e.g., GP 2013 or GP 2015 R2), you will have to upgrade before applying a year-end update or receiving security updates.
What you need to know:
The next update for Dynamics GP takes place this month.
- This will be the LAST update for Dynamics GP 2016
- GP 2016 owners will not get a US or Canada year-end update; they will need to upgrade to 18.3 or later.
Work is already underway for the next Dynamics GP release, and it will address suggestions and recommendations received from current users. You can view recommendations made on the Dynamics user suggestion site. If you see that a request is “under review,” there is a good chance that it will be included in the new release.
Microsoft plans to continue with the cycle of a major release with features in October 2021 (just as in years past) and then Year-end in November (US) and December 2021(Canada).
GP users should keep in mind that although it is possible to have Dynamics GP hosted in the cloud and accessed online, it never was a true Cloud solution. Dynamics GP was not designed for cloud computing, so it will never be a true SaaS or multi-tenant solution.
Another option
If you would like to expand your options or upgrade to the cloud, take a look at Microsoft’s premier mid-market cloud-based ERP technology. Microsoft Dynamics 365BC (Business Central) is built on the Dynamics NAV codebase. Business Central brings full mid-market ERP capability and improved developer customization features. Dynamics 365BC can do all Dynamics GP can do and much more.
Microsoft has positioned Dynamics 365 Business Central as the mid-market ERP offering of the future. For that reason, Microsoft has diverted the majority of their development resources toward Dynamics 365BC and away from Dynamics GP. Therefore, only minor updates will be available for Dynamics GP. Over the last several years, Microsoft has spent a lot of time improving Dynamics 365BC, and it is now much more user-friendly and feature-rich than Dynamics GP.
The bottom line
The reality is that even though Dynamics GP has served your business well for quite some time, and even though Microsoft has pledged to support Dynamics GP for a few more years, support for the solution will not continue forever. You have an excellent alternative to consider in Microsoft Dynamics 365BC, particularly if you want to take complete advantage of cutting-edge cloud-based technology.
Contact our experts at Rimrock and ask us about Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and how it can benefit your organization.
By Rimrock Corporation, www.rimrock.com
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