Dynamics GP Roadmap: Where GP is Headed and What the Future Holds

Contrary to popular belief, the sky is not falling for Microsoft Dynamics GP on-premise customers.

The rumours around Dynamics GP being retired or in maintenance were based on assumptions kicking around the ecosystem this past year. From Microsoft’s push towards cloud services, the introduction of its first cloud-based ERP solution (Dynamics 365) – oh, and the fact that you were probably offered a discount to migrate to Dynamics 365.

While some of these signs might still make you wonder, we’re going to try to set the record straight and give you all the information you need to form your own opinion on Dynamics GP’s future. Armed with the facts, you’ll be able to decide for yourself whether you want to stay on the same path or make the move to the cloud.

Last year at the GP Tech Conference, Microsoft released the GP Roadmap featured below. This roadmap shows two to three versions out, clearly showing continuous support and core enhancements to the product well past 2020.

As you can see, the next release is GP ‘Next’ and includes top features requested by the customers and community, as well as Intelligent Edge enhancements. For those of you unfamiliar with the Intelligent Edge, this new feature allows you to connect your Dynamics GP on-premise data to the cloud through Dynamics 365 Business Central. It is designed to give you an opportunity to experiment with Dynamics 365’s built-in capabilities, like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, Power BI, Power Apps, Flow, and Common Data Services; while remaining on your current system.

Microsoft says the Intelligent Edge was built to “bridge the digital and real world,” but we think that it’s really meant to bridge the on-premise world with the cloud.

And this is where the road gets muddy.

While Microsoft continues to invest in Dynamics GP, they are trying to make it easier for you to move to the cloud. By opening up the doors to Dynamics 365, you will have a chance to see if actionable analytics, enhanced collaboration, and instant accessibility are enough to make you switch.

With Dynamics GP now aligned with the Dynamics 365 Business Central plan, it remains to be seen what happens after 2020. Dynamics GP is a proven and mature solution that you’ve likely invested thousands of hours and dollars to perfectly fit to your operations. If you are currently experiencing performance issues, growing infrastructure costs, and a few versions behind the latest Dynamics GP release, all we can tell you is to keep your options open.

While you’re not in imminent danger of losing support from Microsoft, there are still a ton of Dynamics GP on-premise customers who are making the switch to the Dynamics 365 cloud.

In our latest whitepaper, From Dynamics GP to Dynamics 365, we outline the reasons why these customers have made the move, what they have gained with Dynamics 365, and what you can expect if you decide to move forward.