#MSDynGP Surveys on the Future of Microsoft Dynamics GP

In April 2023, Microsoft announced that Microsoft Dynamics GP will not be available for sale to new customers after April 2026. While the announcement has very little effect on the existing customers, there have been lots of discussions on the future of Microsoft Dynamics GP and its client base.

Microsoft has indicated that they will be supporting the product to 2028 & Beyond. That “& Beyond” clause will be very dependent on what the existing customers using GP do. If the existing customer base continues to use GP and pay their annual enhancement fees, Microsoft’s management will be able to justify continued support beyond 2028 due to the income stream.

Future of Microsoft Dynamics GP Surveys

At Community Summit 2023 in Charlotte, NC, USA we had a session on the future of Dynamics GP immediately after the GP General Session. The Dynamics GP Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades session interviewed customers, partners and ISVs to discuss their commitment to the Microsoft Dynamics GP platform. It also gave the preliminary results for the Current State of Dynamics GP Customers survey. This survey will remain open to the end of November 2023 and needs your input to improve the sample size.

In February 2023, AccountingWare, the people behind the ActivReporter reporting tool for GP, released a report on the future of Microsoft Dynamics GP. They are preparing an updated version of this report and would like to get input from as many GP customers as possible. The plan is to release the new report in (Northern Hemisphere) Spring 2024. The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete, and participants will have the opportunity to enter for a chance to win one of five $50 Amazon gift cards.

Something to think about

Here is some information that I found interesting:

The data, feedback and comments I have seen so far show that at least 60% of Microsoft Dynamics GP customers are not planning on leaving the product. Of those who have decided to leave GP only about 1 in 4 are doing a re-implementation (not a migration) to Business Central.
There are some 20,000 – 30,000 customers still using the product and a large chunk of them are continuing to pay their annual enhancement fees. This keeps Dynamics GP as a viable product with an income stream.
If you were to attempt to re-implement all of the existing customers to BC as soon as possible, based on the number of hours it would take for a successful move multiplied by the number of customer sites, divided by the partner consultants available to do the work and how many hours they work, there is probably 20 years’ worth of work to be done.
The above 20 years estimate does not include any customization or integration work needed and does not take into account that Business Central might not meet the requirements that were already being met by GP and its ecosystem of ISV and companion products.

Personally, I see at least another 10-15 years of work in the GP world. I am here for the long haul and will continue to support GP while there are customers using my products.