Microsoft Dynamics GP End of Life: A Migration Planning Guide for Australian Businesses
Executive Summary
> The end-of-life date for Microsoft Dynamics GP is the 30th of April 2031. However, businesses should migrate to another solution before the 31st of December, 2029.
> MYOB Acumatica is a leading option for migration due to its similarities to GP over other ERP systems.
> Kilimanjaro Consulting can guide you through the migration process and help you improve efficiency with MYOB Acumatica.
Microsoft has confirmed that the Microsoft Dynamics GP end-of-life date is April 30, 2031. However, it will no longer receive updates from December 31, 2026, which is another critical date on the end-of-life timeline.
For ANZ organisations that rely on Dynamics GP as their core ERP platform, now is the time to plan your migration to a modern ERP system. The multi-year window means that you have time to evaluate your requirements and options before selecting the right replacement. To minimise the risk of migration, you should use this time wisely and not leave it to the last minute. Beginning the technology evaluation in partnership with a trusted software advisor is the best course to ensure your new system is the best fit for your current and future needs.
Kilimanjaro Consulting is an experienced ERP implementation consultant that specialises in MYOB Solutions. If you are using Microsoft Dynamics GP and want to explore your ERP options, we can show you MYOB Acumatica and demonstrate how the migration will position your team for future efficiency improvements.
What Microsoft Dynamics GP’s End of Life Announcement Actually Means
The end of life of an ERP system is a phased approach that gives current users time to migrate to another suitable system. When a system reaches end of life, it is essentially decommissioned and unable to be used or accessed. There are no more updates, no more licences, and no more available support.
There are two key dates in the Microsoft Dynamics GP end-of-life timeline that you should be aware of.
December 31, 2029: After this date, Dynamics GP will stop receiving product enhancements, regulatory updates, and technical support. The system can continue to be used but will lack the supporting resources that make it a high-performing platform. This is also known as the end-of-support date. Microsoft has maintained multiple lifecycle policies for Dynamics GP. If you are governed by the Fixed Lifecycle and using version 2018 R2 or older, it is likely you have already passed your end-of-support date.
April 30, 2031: This is the official, final end-of-life date for Dynamics GP. Licences will expire and will not be able to be renewed. Microsoft will also stop delivering security updates, increasing the risk of data breaches and loss for companies that have not migrated. You may still be able to access the database for migration and historical purposes, but will not be able to use any of the software functionality.
It is important to note that although these dates are fixed and announced by Microsoft, current users may see a decline in support and software services before these dates. This is because software partners, consultants, developers, and support teams reprioritise to other systems as they prepare for their own future after Dynamics GP’s end-of-life.
What Happens if you Keep Running Dynamics GP After 2029
It is possible to use an ERP system during its end-of-life decline, but it becomes an increasing source of risk. Many critical areas will be unavailable after the 31st of December deadline for Microsoft Dynamics GP:
- No technical support services
- No new product releases or features
- No new regulatory and compliance releases
Without these supporting resources, Dynamics GP will become difficult and expensive to run, and less valuable over time. Furthermore, technology’s role in the business is generally to support your efficiency improvement. By choosing to remain on Dynamics GP as it moves through the end-of-life stages, you miss out on the potential improvements that come from migrating to a more modern platform.
Your Migration Options: Where Dynamics GP Users Can Go Next
Microsoft recommends that Dynamics GP transition to its modern cloud ERP system, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (BC). However, although Dynamics GP and Dynamics BC both share the Microsoft brand and Dynamics umbrella, they are completely different systems. It is neither intuitive nor straightforward to migrate from one to the other. This creates the opportunity to explore the wider range of available ERP systems and choose the one that best fits your organisation’s evolving requirements.
Cloud ERP Alternatives, Including MYOB Acumatica
ERP software systems are constantly evolving with new updates and development adding the latest functionality. It pays to assess your requirements and consider alternative systems when going through the end-of-life process for Microsoft Dynamics GP. There are a range of powerful, market-leading systems that are available for larger, more complex organisations in Australia and New Zealand:
- MYOB Acumatica
- Sage Intacct
- NetSuite
- Odoo
- SAP S/4HANA
Kilimanjaro Consulting is the leading MYOB Acumatica implementation consultant in Australia and New Zealand. In our experience, Dynamics GP users see significant benefit in migrating to MYOB Acumatica. This is due to MYOB Acumatica’s modern web-based cloud framework, flexible open API for seamless integration, globally renowned usability and user-friendly interface, modern functionality (including multi-company and industry-specific modules), integrated payroll, local compliance, and built-in Artificial Intelligence.
Dynamics 365 Business Central
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is Microsoft’s recommended option for organisations reaching the end-of-life of Dynamics GP. It is a powerful, global cloud ERP system with a strength in integrating with other Microsoft Office 365 products. However, your organisation will still require a full implementation when migrating from Dynamics GP to Dynamics BC. This is the same for any company moving from a legacy Microsoft Dynamics system (NAV, SL, or GP) to Dynamics BC. It is a significant process, above and beyond a data conversion and import.
The two systems take a different philosophy to development. This is because Dynamics GP and Dynamics BC were originally developed by two separate companies. Dynamics GP was originally developed by Great Plains Software, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2001. Dynamics BC is an offshoot of Dynamics NAV, which was acquired in 2002 and then known as Navision.
Dynamics GP was built by Great Plains Software with a rich Independent Software Vendor (ISV) ecosystem and the philosophy that no one system could be developed to meet every unique organisational and industry requirement. It supported integration with these ISVs to cover more functional areas and specific functionality that was too costly or time-consuming to develop.
On the other hand, Dynamics BC is developer-centric, with a focus on writing customisations in its proprietary codebase. This allows for deeper customisation within BC to meet your business requirements, but is expensive, time-consuming, requires expert development, scales poorly between similar businesses, and is challenging to maintain.
Dynamics 365 Business Central vs Microsoft Dynamics GP
For Dynamics GP users that rely on ISV integrations, it can be extremely expensive to replicate the available functionality in a Dynamics BC system. MYOB Acumatica’s Open API and seamless support for integrated systems make it a strong option for Dynamics GP users exploring new ERP systems. Kilimanjaro Consulting also maintains strong relationships with leading, best-of-breed connected services. We are experienced with integrating a range of third-party solutions with MYOB Acumatica. You can take your existing third-party systems and seamlessly integrate them with MYOB Acumatica to gain the benefit of a complete and connected software ecosystem. MYOB Acumatica and Dynamics BC are both market-leading ERP systems with their own strengths and weaknesses.
How to Plan Your Dynamics GP Migration
The most common mistake when it comes to end-of-life migrations is waiting until the last minute to move systems. Although December 2029 seems like a long way away, a lack of action will expose your business to unnecessary risk. The evaluation and ERP selection process alone can take anywhere from 3 months to 2 years, depending on the complexity of your operations and the available solutions. ERP implementation can take 3-6 months or longer, again depending on the system and your complexity. This means that the time to act is now, so that you can go live in a new system before the end-of-life date for Dynamics GP arrives.
The first step in an ERP migration is to audit and plan your current processes. This includes how your business specifically operates, must-have and nice-to-have workflows, your reporting requirements, and any future-state goals for your business. This information will assist in defining your overall system requirements, including any efficiency improvements you can gain from the implementation, and let you better manage the risks that come with change and new software.
Other important steps in your migration journey include:
- Cleaning the data in your existing systems
- Managing the change of systems within your organisation
- Selecting a trusted software partner to manage the migration
- Shortlisting the available options on the market
- Budgeting for the new system
- Appointing project champions and internal resources to drive the migration
- Identifying the right time of year to migrate and go-live
Turning the Dynamics GP End of Life Into an Opportunity
Because your business relies on the current balance between Dynamics GP and a network of integrated systems, it can appear to be a significant risk to migrate to another ERP system. But the bigger risk is in not moving to another software.
An ERP implementation is an opportunity to optimise your processes and introduce organisation-wide efficiency improvements. Migrating to a modern system will give you the new functionality and AI-powered automations you need to stay ahead of the competition, while also putting you on a platform with ongoing support, compliance maintenance, and development.
Partnering with experienced ERP software consultants, such as Kilimanjaro Consulting, can help mitigate the risk of your migration. They can help you evaluate the available solutions and recommend the best choice for your organisation. By getting to know you and your business, and building a trusted, long-term partnership, they can support your requirements now and into the future. This ensures that the technology continues to improve efficiency and deliver a strong return on your investment in the coming years.
Next Steps
Our team is ready to help you to better understand the end-of-life process and migrate to another solution. We have experience in guiding other businesses from Microsoft Dynamics GP to MYOB Acumatica and can leverage that experience to minimise the risk for you and your team. We are available to talk through your migration options when you need us.
Contact us at any time by emailing sales@kilimanjaro-consulting.com or by calling 1300 857 464(AU) or 0800 436 774(NZ).
