Microsoft Dynamics GP is — officially — not dead. Microsoft released an updated lifecycle in July, confirming Dynamic GP’s status as a viable solution through 2028 “and beyond.”
The new lifecycle highlights the expected end-of-support dates for those versions of Dynamics GP that are on the Fixed Lifecycle policy. It also shows future versions on the Modern Policy with an ongoing arrow and those two key words “and beyond.” It appears there is a long life yet to come for the powerhouse on-premise ERP solution.
This latest news lets GP users breathe a little easier after months, even years, of uncertainty over the product’s future.
When Microsoft debuted its cloud ERP solution in 2018, the company made it clear that it planned to put the majority of its investment into the cloud moving forward. The company strongly encouraged its partners to move existing on-premise ERP clients to the cloud solution, Dynamics 365 Business Central.
That push, along with a lack of communication around existing on-premise solutions, made many wonder about the future of Microsoft’s on-premise ERPs such as GP.
In October 2019, Microsoft announced a new Modern Lifecycle policy for Dynamics GP. The company’s traditional Fixed Lifecycle featured annual upgrades along with five years of mainstream support followed by five years of extended (bug fixes) support for each version. This meant a guaranteed 10 years of support for the latest (2018) version of Dynamics GP — and a guaranteed end date.
The Modern Lifecycle switched up that rhythm, replacing annual upgrades with three minor updates each year. It also nixed the traditional 10-year support cycle in favor of a yearly “current support” cadence, but how long that support would continue was unclear.
The newly published lifecycle clears up any confusion, indicating that the new support rhythm under the Modern Lifecycle will continue past 2028.
A GP client moves to the Modern Lifecycle once they add a tax update or hotfix to their existing installation of Dynamics GP 2018 or 2018 R2. Under the Modern Lifecycle policy, Microsoft releases three all-inclusive minor updates to the software each year. A client is considered current if they take any one of those three updates.
If you’re on Dynamics GP and want to stick with the on-premise ERP, you can rest assured that you will have Microsoft’s support for the foreseeable future — provided you stay current with your updates.
Staying current is easier than ever with Boyer’s Continuous Improvement Support for Dynamics GP users. This plan entitles you to regular support, upgrades and proactive planning, all for a flat monthly fee. For more information on upgrading Dynamics GP, call 763-412-4315 to request an upgrade assessment or details on our support plans.
