In October of 2019, Microsoft instituted a new support policy for Dynamics GP.  The new Modern Lifecycle replaces the previous Fixed Lifecycle, wherein Microsoft supported the product for a fixed 5 years with mainstream support.  The new Modern Lifecycle provides support for 2 years.  

Recently in July 2021, even more exciting news broke. Microsoft updated the Dynamics GP roadmap to extend to 2028 AND BEYOND!  GP clients around the globe were thrilled to learn that GP is not going away. 

This new Modern Lifecycle and the updated roadmap show that Microsoft, more than ever, has a continued commitment to the Dynamics GP solution and its client base, and has provided a clear vision for what customers can expect going forward.   

Let us help you break down this new Modern Lifecycle and explain what it means to you. 

In the new Modern Lifecycle support model, customers may stay current by taking advantage of one of three inclusive yearly GP releases. Staying current means clients will continue to receive support and servicing, including bug fixes, new features, and the latest tax updates well into the future.

Additionally, there is also now a committed release schedule:

Every June you will see the year-end tax updates, regulatory updates, and hotfixes.

Every October there will be a new feature release and hotfixes.

Every December you can expect tax updates, regulatory updates, and hotfixes.

There occasionally may be updates released at other times throughout the year that are necessary for mid-year tax updates and sometimes major bug fixes.

For those clients still governed by the Fixed Lifecycle, below are some important dates to be aware of:

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Mainstream Support ended 4/4/2018

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015 Mainstream Support ended 4/14/2020

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2016 Mainstream Support ended 7/13/2021

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2018* Mainstream Support ends 1/10/2023

*Note that doing a tax update or hotfix on Dynamics GP 2018 will take you to version 18.3 (or higher) which is governed by the new Modern Lifecycle policy.

An important point to make is our goal at LBMC Technology Solutions is to help you make the best decisions for your company, when the time is right for you. GP is not going away, and we will continue to be your trusted GP partner if staying on GP is your goal. However, we know that as technology evolves, changes, and improves, cloud software is the future. If you are ready to move GP to a cloud-hosted environment, or make the switch away from GP to a true cloud ERP, you have options and we are here to help guide you along that path as well. As a nationally-recognized ERP partner for several solutions, LBMC Technology Solutions can assist in supporting your existing ERP system or guide you through evaluating new ERP solutions for your financial digital transformation.

If you need additional support or would like to discuss the best options for your finance management system, contact us at info@techlbmc.webservice.team.

Do not forget that your opinions matter! Microsoft uses real end-user feedback and votes when they are planning feature releases. Submit your suggestions on this website. Make sure to search through the posted ideas/suggestions before submitting, there is a good chance someone is like-minded! The more votes a topic gets, the more likely it is to make it into the October product release.

The information in this blog was contributed by our team of experts with LBMC Technology Solutions. While we strive for accuracy, this content is for general informational purposes only and shouldn’t be considered professional advice. We recommend consulting relevant professionals before making decisions based on this information. Links to external websites or resources are for the convenience of readers. LBMC does not endorse the content of external sites and can not guarantee the accuracy, relevance, or reliability of the information found there. LBMC and its experts are not liable for any damages resulting from reliance on this content.