Everything you need to know about the future of Dynamics GP

Yes, Microsoft has announced a phased discontinuation of Dynamics GP, signaling the eventual end of this trusted ERP system. Sales of new licenses will be gradually discontinued over the next few years, followed by a phased reduction in support. This process will lead to the official end of life for Dynamics GP, marking the end of an era for businesses relying on this solution. Companies using Dynamics GP are encouraged to begin evaluating their ERP strategy to ensure a seamless transition.

Microsoft has officially announced that all versions of Dynamics GP will reach their end of life by April 30, 2031, with support and updates fully ceasing. For versions of Dynamics GP released after 2019, which are governed by the Modern Lifecycle Support policy, product enhancements, regulatory updates, and technical support will end on December 31, 2029, followed by the end of security updates on April 30, 2031.

Microsoft has also now confirmed that April 30, 2031 will be the end date for subscription billing and use of Dynamics GP under SPLA agreements, meaning customers on these licensing models will no longer be able to operate the product beyond that point.

• December 31, 2029: End of product enhancements, regulatory (tax) updates, service packs, and technical support. Final year-end update for Dynamics GP.
• April 30, 2031: End of security updates for Dynamics GP and termination of subscription billing and SPLA usage, marking the official end of life.

Versions of Dynamics GP prior to 2019 fall under the Fixed Lifecycle Support policy. Mainstream support for all versions of GP before 2019 has already ended, and extended support will end by 2028. Extended support does not include any functionality updates and is limited to security and vulnerability updates.

In 2019, Microsoft moved Dynamics GP to its Modern Lifecycle Support policy, aligning it with other products like Dynamics 365 and Business Central. To remain supported, clients must stay current by adopting one of the three planned updates released annually, typically in June, October, and December. These updates include bug fixes, security patches, and servicing.

However, Microsoft has announced that GP will no longer receive major new features. Between now and 2029, support will be limited to critical fixes, compliance updates, and security patches. After December 31, 2029, product updates and technical support will end, and only security updates will be available until April 30, 2031. Beyond this date, Microsoft will no longer provide any support, leaving businesses vulnerable to cybersecurity threats and compliance issues.

For versions of Dynamics GP released before 2019, Microsoft provided three phases of support under the Fixed Lifecycle Support policy. Mainstream support, which includes security updates, hotfixes, and product support, was available for the first five years but has now ended for all pre-2019 versions. Extended support, which only includes security updates, will phase out by 2028 for these versions.

How long Microsoft will support GP, depends on the version lifecycle policy. Whether your version of GP is still supported by Microsoft or not, Dynamics GP is further supported and enhanced by partners such as Rand Group. Our team of solution and industry experts is committed to supporting, adding value, and enhancing features of GP.

The future of Dynamics GP is limited as Microsoft phases out the platform in favor of the Dynamics 365 family of applications. Microsoft will end all sales of new Dynamics GP instances by April 2026. For versions of Dynamics GP released prior to 2019, all Mainstream support has already ended, and Extended support, which only includes security updates, will end by 2028. Newer versions of Dynamics GP, governed by the Modern Lifecycle Support policy, will stop receiving updates and technical support by December 31, 2029, with security updates ceasing entirely after April 30, 2031.

Dynamics 365 is a cloud-based suite of business applications that consist of the following ERPs: Business Central, Finance, and Supply Chain Management as well as a suite of CRM applications such as Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, Field Service, and Project Operations.

Dynamics 365 Business Central is the ERP in the Dynamics 365 family that is most similar to Dynamics GP. They are both powerful ERPs aimed at small and medium-sized business and are well-suited for managing an organization’s core finances. However, there are some key differences in licensing, hosting, upgrading, and functionality. For example, Dynamics GP was built to be on-premise while Business Central was designed for the cloud. Additionally, Dynamics 365 products are licensed on a full software as a service (SaaS) model. This means customers pay monthly subscription licensing and automatically receive enhancements, bug-fixes, and updates from Microsoft.

Deciding which solution is the best would depend on an organization’s unique requirements. Rand Group has extensive experience with both solutions and can help you evaluate both systems so you can determine if you want to stay on Dynamics GP or migrate to a new ERP.