Microsoft To Sunset Great Plains
30,000 + Microsoft Customers* asked to move from Great Plains to Business Central (GP2BC) by September 30, 2029
- While Microsoft does not publish specific user counts, there are resources online that estimate Microsoft Dynamics GP customers number somewhere between 10,000 and 43,000 today.
GP2BC: Just the Facts
How long until Dynamics GP/ Great Plains retires?
In a word, yes. When a software publisher decides to "sunset" a product that is simply another way of saying "discontinued."
Great Plains, or Dynamics GP will be sunset, September 2029, with security patches ending April 2031.
All GP or Great Plains users are affected by the sunset of the product. Great Plains began selling in 1981, so anyone currently using GP will need to be aware that support and product enhancements are coming to an end by 2029, with security patches for the product ending April 2031.
Microsoft offers migration tools to its new flagship product, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, so current GP customers have a natural path to both a more modern product, but can take advantage of the most modern technologies like cloud computing and Artificial Intelligence found in Copilot. Ask your partner about this today.
While no software publisher will tell people exactly what software they should move to, Microsoft and several Microsoft partners are prepared and willing to help GP Customers move to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, the new flagship product for Microsoft fans everywhere.
Other options for SMB (small to mid-sized businesses) include Netsuite, Sage Intacct, or Quickbooks. Contact your Microsoft Partner for help with your decision-making process.
As more and more GP customers realize they need to move to another ERP software, resources to make that move will become scarcer and possibly more expensive. As Microsoft has now made the official announcement for GP's demise, smart CFOs and IT managers will work with their trusted Microsoft partner to transition to another solution, like Microsoft Business Central.
The GP2BC challenge then, is to:
- Choose when you want your organization to go-live on a new solution, so you can "plan backwards",
- Prepare and embrace a change management perspective among all your team members,
- Build a narrow list of new software vendors to work with in providing you information about GP2BC moving, background buyer data for later in your purchase cycle, and the best information to help you with your own comparisons, and knowledge for purchase empowerment,
- Select the software you believe will work for your business for many years to come,
- Enroll in either a new subscription or invest in a new on-premises product,
- Go through an implementation process,
- Find your new ERP home.
Need help with all of this? Contact your Microsoft partner today, or ask Tangicloud to help: Info@tangicloud.com.
"With advancements in technology and changing market dynamics, business leaders are looking at their operations tools now more than ever to stay competitive, drive growth, improve profitability and ensure long-term company success. Microsoft is committed to ensuring we offer robust and innovative solutions to meet these needs. Dynamics 365 Business Central is Microsoft’s flagship SMB ERP product, optimized to help businesses thrive in a new world of cloud and AI computing."
Mike Morten, Vice President, Microsoft Dynamics Business Central
No one can tell you exactly when or how you must move. You may even stay on your existing software, but be aware that once support is stopped, you will have fewer options for keeping your technology current and your company data secure.
At Tangicloud, we believe that the sooner you start your efforts to move from GP2BC, the better your experience will be. You can work with high quality vendors and consultants now as they are not totally booked today. This may not be true as we near the sunset date. Moving immediately also gives you the opportunity to take your time with effort, ask more questions, get better one-to-one consultations and a longer post go-live support experience.
Generally, and depending on the complexity of your ERP as it exists today, you will want to allow anywhere from 2 months to 24 months to move to another software product. The easiest transition, of course, will be to stay in the Microsoft ecosystem with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Microsoft has built migration tools specifically for the transition you need.
However, if your business or organization has specific industry needs to address, you will want to work with your trusted advisor or Microsoft partner to design a solution with a great platform, strong base product and then the additional features you need.
If you operate a nonprofit or government organization on Great Plains today, you may want to look at Tangicloud Fundamentals for a great new home. At Tangicloud, we built our Fundamentals to cover more than 90% of base nonprofit/government needs. Contact Us today for more information.
Great question! While you are open to whatever software partner you'd like, here are some good resources for you:
The Microsoft Partner Page - be sure to scroll down to the boxes listing partners with specific skill sets.
The Microsoft AppSource - Not just a great place to explore Add-ons for Business Central, this is where you can look for partners as well.
If you have a nonprofit or government organization, Tangicloud can put you in touch with any of our more than 30 active partners. Just contact us for more information.
While fewer and fewer Microsoft partners offer new sales to businesses interested in Dynamics GP or Great Plains the software is still found in these countries:
- United States
- Canada
- United Kingdom
- Australia
- South Africa
- India
- United Arab Emerates
Business Central is an excellent platform for whatever business you manage. However, some of the complexities present with fund accounting and the needs of nonprofits and governments sometimes require industry specific enhancements provided by ISVs or Industry Solution Vendors.
Tangicloud Technologies, Inc. is one such ISV. Our management team has focused on delivering the best in ERP functionality to governments and nonprofits since the mid-1990s and continues on our mission to make the world better by working with Microsoft partners to serve nonprofits and small governments everywhere.
If you run an organization that focuses on responsible procurement practices and missions that positively impact our world, we'd love to talk with you. The transition from Great Plains, Navision, Solomon, or any SMB software to the most modern Microsoft software, Business Central, can be a superior experience for you. We're cost-effective, powerfully featured, and future-proof capable for your organization.
Let's talk now: Contact Us for a free consultation on how you can move to a Business Central version that will work for you now and for years to come.
Now is the Best Time to Move GP to BC
Why Migrate Now?
As Microsoft Dynamics GP approaches its sunset, your GP customers face a critical decision: migrate to the latest Microsoft ERP solution, Dynamics 365 Business Central (BC), or risk falling behind. Your role as their trusted partner positions you perfectly to guide them through this GP2BC transition.
Keeping GP Customers in the Microsoft Ecosystem
We have been serving nonprofits and governments for over 25 years. Our Apps have been enhanced over time to meet almost every functional need, and we continue to add new features.
Risks Associated with Delaying Migrations
At Tangicloud, we review every support incident so to constantly improve our products and reduce your support burden. Our partner knowledge base provides technical and functional articles, as well as release notes to assist your support staff.
"Among numerous ISV partners, Tangicloud distinguishes itself through a dedicated focus on empowering our success in the nonprofit and government sectors. The synergy of Prenticeworx, Business Central, and their Fundamentals solution not only enhances recurring and service revenues but also delivers a distinct competitive advantage in supporting the vital missions of our customers."
PrenticeWorx
"Over the past two years, working with Tangicloud to move from Great Plains to Fundamentals has been an awesome lift for us. As a rapidly growing non-profit, we needed a modern fund accounting system that could keep up with our complexities and help us to streamline our internal processes."
National Forest Foundation
"Transitioning from Dynamics GP to Business Central with Tangicloud's Fundamentals has significantly transformed our operations. The enhanced reporting and seamless Excel integration have improved our efficiency and accuracy."
Couleecap Inc. Amy Felber, CPA, Chief Financial Officer