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The future of Microsoft Dynamics GP

The emergence of the SaaS led platform; Project Madeira has raised questions about the direction that Microsoft plan to take with the current Dynamics family of products. Strategically, Microsoft is positioning Project Madeira to compete with other cloud only solutions such as Netsuite and Salesforce.

This has had some analysts and Dynamics users to question whether Microsoft will continue to support and develop its existing Dynamics products like Microsoft Dynamics GP in the future. At Advantage, we’ve spoke to experts within the Dynamics community and reached out to Microsoft themselves for an answer.

Will Project Maderia replace Dynamics GP?

Dynamics GP Business Unit Director  Matt Fleming, doesn’t think so:

“Project Madeira is a really exciting offering by Microsoft. But as Microsoft have rightly pointed out, it’s not for everyone. It’s a cloud only offering – and this might not be a fit for some businesses. It’s also been designed as a  scaled down ERP software and doesn’t have the functionality of a fully-fledged version of Dynamics GP. This will be a crucial decision point for many businesses.”

“It is without a doubt that a SaaS led platform is an instrumental offering in the Microsoft portfolio, but we’re already seeing some fantastic success when we move Dynamics products onto the Azure Cloud Platform – Reducing costs”

Microsoft’s Stance

Microsoft have re-iterated their commitment to Dynamics GP with the latest release of the Microsoft Dynamics GP Roadmap. Looking at it, it’s obvious that Microsoft has a clear vision for Dynamics GP between now and 2020.

Several releases are planned, with the R2 version of GP 2016 first to arrive a couple of months from now. A key component of the Roadmap is the adoption of their customer-led approach, inviting users to request features through their feedback system. They’ll be continuing the bi-annual “big release” cycle of iterations like GP 2013 and GP 2016.

Dynamics GP 2016 Highlights

GP 2016 was released in May 2016 with a host of new features:

  • HTML 5 web client is the standout feature. It makes GP 2016 a truly mobile ERP solution that is accessible on an array of browsers and devices.

GP 2016 R2 Highlights

Scheduled for release in Q4, GP 2016 R2 brings long anticipated features to GP like:

  • Further Power BI enhancements: GP 2016 brought in Power BI integration to GP 2016. They’re planning to expand this functionality with deeper integration and a wider range of features.

Beyond GP 2016 R2

Future iterations of GP will be released on a bi-annual basis, with GP 2018 slated to arrive in Q2 2018. Microsoft have indicated they’ll be listening to customer feedback to build features to help GP users in future releases. They’ll continue to support updates in their usual cycles.

The future of Dynamics GP?

When we asked Matt about the future of GP he said; “With the release of additional information on the Dynamics GP Roadmap, I’d argue that GP is in great shape for the foreseeable future.”

With a solid plan for the development of GP; the future remains bright for the Dynamics GP family of products.