Is Dynamics GP going away?

We hear this question from our customers more and more often, along with wild rumors and mistaken information about GP’s future.

The short answer is straightforward: No, GP is not going away any time soon. Customers will be able to use the ERP they know and love for years to come.

Microsoft announced in July 2021 that Dynamics GP will be supported and updated through 2028 and beyond, under the Modern Lifecycle policy.

What is the Modern Lifecycle?

In October 2019, Microsoft announced that all future releases of Dynamics GP will be governed by the Modern Lifecycle Policy (in contrast to the Fixed Lifecycle). The Modern Policy offers ongoing technical support and cumulative updates, whereas versions on the Fixed Lifecycle have a defined end-date for mainstream support.

Moving forward, Microsoft will release three updates every year. In June and December, you can count on bug fixes and tax and regulatory updates. The October release will offer hotfixes, in addition to new features requested by customers.

At the time of this writing, Dynamics GP 18.4 was released on October 1, 2021 and has a number of improvements for the Payables module.

To stay current, customers need to implement at least one of the three all-inclusive updates each year. We highly encourage our customers to plan an upgrade from any of the Fixed Lifecycle versions listed below to GP as supported by the Modern Lifecycle.

If you’re not sure what version you’re on, here’s how to find out. And if you’d like to request a new feature for future GP releases, or vote on current suggestions, follow this link!

Moving GP to the Modern Life cycle support without an end date means that GP will not be retired any time soon. We know the GP community remains loyal and devoted, and Microsoft continues to respond to the avid user base.

What does this mean for Mekorma customers?

Simply stated, customers can rest assured we will continue to provide AP solutions for GP clients through 2028 and beyond! This includes providing new releases of our integrated software, consultative implementation and customization services, and mobile application development.

Mekorma is committed to releasing new builds of the Payment Hub and add-on products every March and September. The two major releases provide updates, enhancements, and new features to enrich the Mekorma-Dynamics GP experience.

We align with GP Lifecycles in the following ways:

• We will ensure our software is compatible with each of the three annual Modern Lifecycle GP updates. Our promise is to release any needed changes within 90 days of the GP update, but it’s typically available much sooner. You can always find the most current version of our software on our downloads page.

• As Microsoft ends mainstream support for Fixed Lifecycle versions, our Premium Service Fee (PSF) will be required for any customer still running that GP version. At the time of this writing, customers on GP2016 or older pay an additional $750 plus their annual renewal fee. This covers the additional training and systems maintenance needed to provide support for older builds.

We know that some of you may be planning or questioning a move from Dynamic GP to a cloud-based option. If that’s the case, make sure it’s for all the right reasons! Mekorma will continue to be here for the GP community, and the future is looking bright!