Software Lifecycle Policy for Microsoft Dynamics GP

With all of the talk recently about Microsoft’s new cloud-based ERP solution, Business Central, you may be wondering what’s up with Dynamics GP. Is Microsoft still supporting it? Do I have to switch to Business Central?

Yes, Microsoft is still supporting Dynamics GP, and no, you do not need to switch to Business Central. We think moving to a new cloud-based solution like Business Central or Sage Intacct is worth considering, but you can certainly stay on Dynamics GP if that is your preference. To reiterate Microsoft’s plans for Dynamics GP, they have moved away from major upgrades to a Modern Policy for continuous support and servicing, including bug fixes, new features, and the latest tax updates. Microsoft is committed to 3 updates per year with additional updates as needed. Customers may stay current by taking at least one of the three yearly planned Dynamics GP releases. And, best of all, the releases are essentially service packs now, so the no more costly upgrades.

Below is the planned update schedule per Microsoft for Dynamics GP, beginning with the October 2020 release 18.3 (i.e., GP 2021).

2020

Feature Update (new features and bug fixes): October
Update (tax updates, bug fixes): June/November/December
Staying Current: To stay current, you must be on one of the 2020 releases. This ensures that you can upgrade to next year’s updates.

2021

Feature Update (new features and bug fixes): October
Update (tax updates, bug fixes): June/November/December
Staying Current: To stay current, you must be on one of the 2021 releases. This ensures that you can upgrade to next year’s updates.

2022

Feature Update (new features and bug fixes): October
Update (tax updates, bug fixes): June/November/December
Staying Current: To stay current, you must be on one of the 2022 releases. This ensures that you can upgrade to next year’s updates.

2023

Feature Update (new features and bug fixes): October
Update (tax updates, bug fixes): June/November/December
Staying Current: To stay current, you must be on one of the 2023 releases. This ensures that you can upgrade to next year’s updates.

2024

Feature Update (new features and bug fixes): TBA
Update (tax updates, bug fixes): June/November/December
Staying Current: To stay current, you must be on one of the 2024 releases. This ensures that you can upgrade to next year’s updates.