Microsoft is making some big changes to its product lines. While the sunsetting of Dynamics Great Plains (GP) has been in the rumor mill for quite some time, it seems that this time, the company is firmly taking steps towards Dynamics GP end of life and eliminating this option from its product line.

Microsoft has recently affirmed its commitment to supporting its loyal Dynamics GP community. Microsoft will continue providing regulatory tax updates, security patches, and hotfixes to keep Dynamics GP up to date. This includes necessary usability and reliability updates to address critical customer issues, ensuring businesses can operate successfully on Dynamics GP.

Overview of Microsoft’s recent Dynamics GP end of life announcements

April 1, 2025: Elimination of new licenses

Microsoft has announced that new customer sales of Microsoft Dynamics GP will cease by April 1, 2025. At this point, no new Dynamics GP sales for subscription licensing will be available. From a pulled-back view, this means there could be ramifications for existing users and the broader ecosystem in general. Dynamics GP is no longer a viable revenue stream, so it seems likely Microsoft will soon completely phase it out.

Along this same point, the company has indicated that there will be no fundamental changes to the platform going forward. This means Dynamics GP could very soon become outdated, as new technologies roll out that are not able to be integrated with this solution.

It is important to consider the potential outcomes of this sunsetting now. For organizations that rely on Dynamics GP for their operations, it is entirely possible that they could find themselves without support if they do not start considering other options now.

2023: Mainstream fixed lifecycle support expired

Mainstream fixed lifecycle support refers to the specified timeframe in which Microsoft delivers updates that bolster the security and reliability of the product. It generally lasts about five years. This proactive approach aims to address vulnerabilities, rectify issues, and enhance overall performance.

Mainstream support largely addresses:

• Incident support
• New releases
• Updates
• Service packs, builds, and patches
• Tax and year-end updates
• Security updates
• Request non-security updates

The expiration of this support could very easily open companies up to risks and potential harm.

2028: Extended fixed lifecycle support expires

The future is never certain, but at this time, Microsoft has announced that it plans to deprecate extended fixed lifecycle support in 2028. This is the follow-up support that was put into place after removing the mainstream support.

Extended support is built around:

• Paid support only
• Online self-help
• Security updates
• No warranty support
• No new design changes or feature requests
• Limited non-security updates

There is little coverage and security addressed in this model, but it comes at a severely less supported level and is an important consideration to make when looking at the future of a business.

Microsoft support plans: What is next?

Companies relying on Dynamics GP’s support functionality do not have much time to ensure a safe and secure processing environment.

Below is an arrangement of the end dates that are associated with extended support.

Additionally, the extended security update (ESU) has often been a source of confusion, as it sounds as though there is a continuation beyond extended support for Dynamics GP. However, ESU appears to be associated with other products outside of Dynamics GP, such as structured query language (SQL) and Windows operating systems.

Modern lifecycle: Benefits and prerequisites

Today’s most up-to-date version of Dynamics GP, version 18.6, falls under the Modern Lifecycle Policy umbrella.

This policy provides support and service, including bug fixes and the latest tax table updates, which is where updates such as hotfixes and applicable regulatory enhancements, come into play. The Modern Lifecycle Policy might also incorporate updates in usability or reliability to address key customer concerns and other issues critical in ensuring companies are able to successfully navigate their businesses using Dynamics GP. At this time, it is not possible to determine exactly what that will look like in the future.

Importantly, in order for a company to become eligible for the Modern Lifecycle Policy, Microsoft requires that the organization be current. It will need to take at least one of three all-inclusive annual GP updates. This is why version 18.6 is so crucial to pay attention to. Annual updates like this can be a bit of a heavy lift for many companies, so it is important to be mindful of this rule.

Short- and long-term implications and options

There are barriers to entering the Modern Lifecycle Policy. There are far more frequent database updates, which typically translates into:

• More planning
• More downtime
• More risk
• More expense

For companies that are comfortable doing huge updates once every three or five years, this can be an incredibly heavy lift to switch to an annual cadence.

Switching into the Modern Lifecycle Policy also requires more frequent retrofit, repair, and testing. This means looking at integrations from other lines of business solutions, examining reporting, such as Management Reporter and SSRS, and reviewing the customizations in place to make sure the flow of information is consistent in the new setup.

Businesses will also need to take a look at any concurrent ISV solution upgrades that they will need to perform. They might have to work with various ISV partners to retrofit their systems, which could cause pushback if they are not able to prove the cost/benefit analysis is worth it, given there will not be full support for Dynamics GP in just a few years.

Of course, the constant testing that businesses will require to ensure success in this new environment will increase the total cost of ownership of the platform in the end.

Considerations for future success

As businesses start to think about what their next steps should be, they must consider:

• What is the scope of the GP deployment? Are only financials running on the system, or is a full ERP or supply chain suite running? If the latter, the scope of the upgrade might become extremely challenging.
• What are the types and quality of the customizations that are in place? Are they embedded or external?
• How many ISV solutions are being used? Each solution will require coordination, planning, and version control.
• Are the resources necessary to manage an aging product available? Given that Dynamics GP has been around for quite a while, many of those who were trained in the platform are entering into a retiring resource pool. Is there the talent in the team to maintain this product if the subject matter experts leave the company?

Dynamics GP end of life migration options

For those looking for ways to heed these concerns, there are a few options for dynamics GP alternatives.

1. Migrate to Dynamics 365 Business Central or Finance & Operations (F&O)

   Microsoft does offer two legacy applications that might work if a company feels that staying with Microsoft is the best path forward for their organization. Business Central (formerly NAV) is for small- and middle market organizations, while F&O (formerly AX) is an enterprise solution.
   
   Unfortunately, with either of these paths, there is no quick solution to ease the migration. This conversion is entirely switching from one system to a completely different one. Additionally, both of these solutions were developed in the 1990s and are not native cloud solutions.
   
   Be sure to check for low-code or no-code customization and integration capabilities. This is usually where native cloud-based systems stand out against legacy systems — the latter of which typically does not offer as much, if any, of the low-code or no-code options that native cloud-based solutions can.

2. Migrate to a native cloud ERP: NetSuite or Acumatica

   Both of these options are built from native cloud architecture and design, meaning they offer:
   • Unified databases and can be embedded with CRM and e-commerce platforms
   • Multi-Entity and intercompany transaction processing
   • Current passive upgrades on an ongoing basis
   • Low-code or no-code end-user-driven customizations
   • Superior API connectivity

3. Web enable GP data with Microsoft-based workforce solutions

   Power BI or Power Apps can offer greater agility with the data in GP and allow it to be more actionable, as it can deliver users and stakeholders the information they need in formats that work best for each person, role, or department.
   
   This helps to maximize return on investment (ROI) and facilitate quick decision-making. The Power BI is a low-cost solution and provides an option if a business wants to stay with Dynamics GP without missing technological opportunities.

How Citrin Cooperman can help

Citrin Cooperman’s Digital Services Practice has extensive experience helping businesses with the sometimes overwhelming decisions relating to Microsoft Dynamics GP end of life. To learn how your business can obtain more insights into the future with or without Dynamics GP, reach out to your Citrin Cooperman advisor or Jory Weissman at sales@citrincooperman.com.