Ever since Microsoft debuted its shiny new cloud ERP in 2016, the question continues to be asked: What will happen to its on-premise accounting solutions? Is Dynamics SL dead? What about Dynamics GP? And is Dynamics NAV no more than a stepping-stone to the cloud now?
Make no mistake. Microsoft is fully invested in the cloud and is heavily promoting its suite of cloud-based business solutions — rightly so. Dynamics 365 offers a plethora of easy-to-use solutions that scale as needed for start-ups and enterprise companies alike. It’s a powerful suite of fully integrated tools perfect for businesses of any size.
Microsoft continues to push the messaging that the cloud is the future, but what about the here and now? In case you’re worried about getting stuck with an obsolete accounting solution, you should know that Microsoft has no plans to abandon its existing on-premise users. Roadmaps and lifecycle documents for Dynamics NAV, GP and yes, even SL, all show at least another decade of Microsoft support.
In fact, here’s a sneak peek at the latest Dynamics SL roadmap:
Microsoft promises 10 years of support for each new version, and the latest SL version is currently SL 2018. So no, Dynamics SL is not dead. There is still a thriving Dynamics SL user group community. There are still thousands of happy SL customers who prefer their current solution’s tried-and-true project-centric capabilities, which, by the way, still outshine SL’s cloud counterpart, Dynamics 365 Business Central.
So, should you stay on Dynamics SL or should you move? That’s entirely up to you. We’ve helped several of our Dynamics SL clients — and Dynamics GP clients — take a closer look at how their existing solution compares to Business Central. Some see advantages of moving to the cloud and decide to make the transition. Others prefer to stay put, continuing to invest in a steady and still very-much-alive solution that does exactly what they need.
If you want to learn more on your options, check out this more detailed blog on the future of Dynamics SL or join us for our next webinar on Should I Stay or Should I Go? — Dynamics SL Remix. As for our company, we’ve decided to stay on premise with Dynamics SL — for now.
