Everything you need to know about the future of Dynamics GP

Microsoft has announced that new sales of Dynamics GP will be discontinued in a phased approach over the next 3 years. Although the sale of Dynamics GP will be discontinued for new customers, Microsoft has not yet discontinued support for existing GP customers. Microsoft will continue to support existing customers on Dynamics GP for some time. Versions of Dynamics GP prior to 2019 have a fixed end date for Microsoft support while versions of Dynamics GP later than 2019 do not yet have a fixed end date. However, it is clear that the future of Dynamics GP is limited.

Versions of Dynamics GP prior to 2019 are governed by the Fixed Lifecycle Support policy. Mainstream support for all versions of GP prior to 2019 have 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. If you are on a version of Dynamics GP that falls under the Fixed Lifecycle Support policy, it is recommended to upgrade to a newer version of Dynamics GP or migrate to a cloud-based ERP.

Dynamics GP versions released after 2019 are on the Modern Lifecycle Support policy and as such, there is no defined end of life. However, since Microsoft will no longer be selling new instances of Dynamics GP after April 2026, the amount of investment Microsoft is making in updating and maintaining Dynamics GP is likely to shrink significantly. 

In 2019, Microsoft moved Dynamics GP to its Modern Lifecycle Support policy, which is the same support policy used for products such as Dynamics 365 and Business Central. In order to receive support from Microsoft, clients must stay current by taking one of the three planned releases during the year. These releases typically happen in June, October, and December. Included in these releases are ongoing bug fixes, security updates, support, and servicing.

For versions of Dynamics GP released prior to 2019, Microsoft provides three phases of support. Mainstream support is available for the first 5 years after release and includes security updates, hotfixes, and product support. Mainstream support has ended for all versions of Dynamics GP released prior to 2019. After Mainstream support, Extended support is available for the next 5 years and only includes updates related to security concerns. Once extended support has ended, Microsoft will no longer support the product and will not provide critical updates.

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 Dynamics GP in favor of the Dynamics 365 family of applications. Microsoft will end all sales of new Dynamics GP instances by 2026. All Mainstream support for Dynamics GP versions prior to 2019 have already ended, and extended support which only includes security updates ends by 2028. Newer versions of Dynamics GP have “continuous” support but it is uncertain when that support will end. 

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.