Dynamic GP clients may have quite a few questions about the future of Microsoft’s ERP roadmap and where Dynamics GP fits into that image. The truth is that Dynamics GP is not going anywhere just yet as Microsoft will continue to support Dynamics GP later versions for several years to come.
Microsoft has committed to funding Dynamics GP with three launches every year until 2024, however, it is still a possibility that the software will be supported after that. Protection updates, additional functionality, Intelligent Edge enhancements, and top features requested by the user community will be included in these three releases.
Currently, Microsoft supports Dynamics GP 2016 and later. If you are on a previous version of Dynamics GP like 2013 or 2015 R2, you will need to upgrade before applying a year-end update or receiving security updates.
Important Info
The next update for Dynamics GP will be mid June
This is the LAST update for GP 2016
GP 2016 customers will NOT get a US or Canada year-end update, they need to upgrade to 18.3 or later.
New feature work is underway for the next release of GP, which will include suggestions sent in from clients by email or through the Dynamics site. If you go to the suggestion site and it states “Under Review”, that is a good indicator that it may be in the next release. As of now, Microsoft will continue with the cycle of a Major release with features in October 2021 (just as years past) and then Year-end in November (US) and December 2021(Canada).
One thing to keep in mind for GP users is even though it is possible for GP to be hosted in the cloud and accessed through a web server, it is not built to run in the cloud. Microsoft's GP roadmap does not include upgrades that would make it a true cloud product, so it will not be a true SaaS, or multi-tenant, solution.
If you are looking to expand your options or upgrade to the cloud, Microsoft's premier mid-market cloud-based ERP technology, Dynamics 365 Business Central, is built on the Dynamics NAV codebase. Business Central provides full mid-market ERP capabilities as well as improved developer customization features, and it can do everything Dynamics GP can do plus much more.
Microsoft thus sees Dynamics 365 Business Central as the mid-market ERP solution of the future. Since Microsoft has pushed the majority of development away from Dynamics GP and toward Business Central, only minor updates are now available for Dynamics GP. Due to the fact that Microsoft has spent so much time improving Business Central over the years, it is now much more user-friendly and feature-rich than GP.
Although Microsoft has committed to supporting Dynamics GP for the next few years and it is a great match for some businesses, there are other options to consider, especially if you want to take complete advantage of current cloud-based technologies. Please contact us if you are interested in learning more about Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and the benefits it can have for your business.
Additionally, if you have questions regarding the Microsoft Dynamics GP roadmap, please feel free to contact us. Our consultants would be happy to help.
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