Has Dynamics GP Reached End of Life? What You Need To Know About Microsoft’s Announcement

There are a lot of mixed messages about the future availability of Dynamics GP. 

A survey of GP User Group members in October 2023 revealed that most people believe that GP’s future is uncertain.

An overwhelming 84% perceived through one source or another, that Dynamics GP was “going away.” This is NOT true. 
67% of the respondents indicated they were committed to staying with Dynamics GP. (These results are slightly lower than the online Dynamics GP Future’s So Bright survey, where 75% reported that they were committed to staying.)

70% of companies running GP believe that MSFT will support GP on the Modern Lifecycle Policy for more than 5 years.  
So what is the truth about the future of GP? Let’s find out:

My business currently uses Dynamics GP. What does the future look like for us? 

Honestly? The next few years should look very familiar to you and won’t require you to make any changes.

If you have a Perpetual license and are on an active enhancement plan, you can add users and functionality until April 1, 2025. 
If you are an active subscription, you can continue to add functionality and users until April 1, 2026.

And even after Microsoft stops selling new licenses of Dynamics GP, they plan on providing support through 2028 and beyond. There will also still be tax updates and the occasional product update until that time. 

If you want a better idea of how to make sure your Dynamics GP is optimized to help guide you into the future or if now is the time to make a change, start with a GP Health Check! It will assess your current GP environment and help you map out your best next steps – whether that includes optimizing your GP, moving your GP to the Cloud, or considering a migration to a cloud-based ERP.

My business was considering purchasing Dynamics GP. Is that still a good idea? 

You can certainly purchase a perpetual Dynamics GP license before April 2025 or a subscription license before April 2026. However, just because it is possible to purchase Dynamics GP as your new ERP solution, it might not be the best solution for your business long-term. 

Learn about your options moving forward with Dynamics GP in our eBook.

If you are planning to purchase a new instance of Dynamics GP, you can extend the security and support for it by deploying it the Enavate Cloud – Powered by Azure. 

However, another option would be Dynamics 365 Business Central. With Business Central, not only do you get a modern Cloud solution, but you get it at a lower cost. You don’t have to buy and maintain an SQL server, a Windows server or any other physical infrastructure. For new customers, Dynamics 365 Business Central is the best option from both a cost and a functionality standpoint.  

I want the functionality of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, but I just feel more comfortable with an on-premises solution. What are my options? 

Business Central is also available as an on-premises version, but you’d need to act quickly if you want a perpetual license: Just like with Dynamics GP, Microsoft will stop selling them for on-premises Business Central in 2025.  

However, to tap into Business Central’s full potential, we highly recommend the Cloud-based version. We understand why some businesses are hesitant to move away from on-premises solutions—but the Cloud is the more secure option. 

Okay, but migrating to the Cloud sounds like a daunting task. How do I even do that? 

It’s true that migrating to a Cloud-based solution is a bit more complex than flipping a switch, but the good news is that you don’t have to do it alone. By partnering with a team of trusted migration experts like Enavate, you’ll be able to move your business operations to Dynamics 365 Business Central and not have to worry about falling behind or losing Microsoft support for your solution.  

Get a clear picture of where you are today and a roadmap to how your Dynamics GP technology can help your organization get where you want to go next with a 5-minute diagnostic as part of a GP Health Check or contact our team today. 

This post was originally published June 6th, 2023 and has been updated for accuracy and relevance.