You may have recently heard that Microsoft Dynamics GP and Business Central on-premise will no longer be sold to new customers after 2026. In this post we will discuss the situation with GP and what is possible. We are offering information, not advice. If you need advice on your Dynamics GP future, it's a good idea to check in with your GP consultant.
"2028 and Beyond"
While three years doesn’t seem very far away, the reality is, existing customers will be able to add new users post ‘26 as Microsoft will continue to support GP through "2028 and beyond."
Read more about Microsoft Dynamics GP End of Life and Roadmap »
So based on Microsoft’s current roadmap, it’s not hard to imagine thousands of businesses staying on GP beyond 2028 by a few years. People are using legacy systems all over the world right now, from well-aged and recently retired Internet Explorer infrastructure to ancient Windows licenses. Of course what Microsoft will do with GP after 2028 and beyond, nobody knows.
"...based on Microsoft’s current roadmap, it’s not hard to imagine thousands of businesses staying on GP beyond 2028 by a few years."
Why Stay on Legacy Systems?
Many organizations stay with legacy systems because they prefer the familiarity and sense of security of a traditionally on-premise solution, but many others simply aren’t really interested in getting new accounting systems. They prefer to just stay the course using software that works, rather than reimplement new ERP that works differently.
About 35% of survey respondents still use on-premise or legacy ERP, according to the 2023 ERP Report by Panorama Consulting. The report also shares some data on why companies stay on legacy systems. But the most common reason we hear for staying on Dynamics GP is: “Why Not Stay On GP?”
Or for that matter, why not get Dynamics GP new while you can if that’s what you want? You have at least five years with it and maybe 10-plus if you think that’s what would be best for your business.
What Should You Consider?
Check your licensing, be sure about when licenses expire, you will need to be updated to a 2018 version by 2026 and on Modern Lifecycle by 2028. Just be prepared for these deadlines so you can continue to add users and receive updates.
Understand Microsoft’s procedures around sunsetting a product. Microsoft has a standard process for sunsetting products, which involves phasing out support and updates for older products, while simultaneously encouraging customers to migrate to newer products that offer better features and capabilities.
Conclusion
People like Great Plains. It’s a workhorse. You can pack on functionality because there are so many add-on solutions and service providers available in the GP marketplace. Whether hosted through third party or on-premise, GP is a classic that still works.
It has long been true that staying in business into the future means at some point you will have to implement new software. Of course, now that will almost definitely mean a cloud-native ERP sometime in the future. But the truth is, the decision to stick with Dynamics GP is a personal one and will depend on a variety of factors unique to each business. Microsoft seems to understand this, offering many assurances that they are not abandoning the software.
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