Microsoft ends support for on-premises ERP platform Dynamics GP. Customers will be forced to move to the cloud.
With a blog, Microsoft announces the imminent end of Dynamics GP. In exactly five years, on Sept. 30, 2029, support for the ERP platform will expire. Security updates will continue until April 2031.
Microsoft has been preparing the swan song of Dynamics GP for several years. In 2022 it was already announced that Dynamics GP will no longer have to rely on “innovation,” which means as much as that the platform will simply continue to be maintained. As of April 2025, license sales will stop. After this announcement today, there may not be too many new licenses being sold.
Forced move to the cloud
For Dynamics GP customers, only one option will remain in five years (or seven years): switch to the cloud-based Dynamics 365 Business Central. Microsoft is already inviting companies to make the switch as soon as possible and is sharing a guide on how to tackle the migration.
Companies that prefer to keep the ERP system on-premises will have to seek refuge elsewhere, but it is already clear that in the next decade the supply of on-premises ERP will be limited. Microsoft is following the lead of Oracle and SAP, among others, who also make no secret of the fact that the future of their platforms lies in the cloud, not on-premises.
From the vendor’s perspective, this is not illogical: cloud services simply provide a more constant revenue stream. Instead of a one-time license, customers pay monthly or annually for services purchased. As a customer, you are relieved of management and maintenance, among other things, but there are plenty of companies that still prefer on-prem solutions in order to stay in control.
read also
On-premises, public or private cloud: what’s the difference?
Vendors sometimes seem to forget that, as evidenced by the dissatisfaction SAP is sowing among its on-premises customers. New features today are often rolled out exclusively to cloud customers. Those who once chose on-premises must today come to the conclusion that that choice comes with consequences.