Explore migration options for Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Microsoft Dynamics GP, and Microsoft Dynamics SL customers

For many organizations, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Dynamics GP, and Dynamics SL have supported critical business processes for decades. These solutions have helped customers manage finance, operations, projects, inventory, and day-to-day business workflows.

Table of Contents

But business needs are changing. Organizations are looking for ways to improve agility, strengthen security, reduce IT complexity, connect data across systems, and take advantage of continuous innovation in the cloud. For customers running legacy on-premises enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions, now is a good time to evaluate the path forward and determine how Dynamics 365 Business Central can support the next stage of growth.

Business Central provides a modern cloud ERP foundation that helps organizations streamline operations, improve visibility, support AI-powered productivity, and build on a platform that continues to evolve.

Dynamics NAV

Dynamics NAV has long been a trusted ERP solution for small and midsize businesses. The final version was released in 2017, with extended support ending in January 2028.

The following changes will take effect on April 30, 2031:

Annual Service Plan (Enhancement Plan and Advantage Plan) coverage ends

Additional perpetual user licenses for existing Dynamics NAV deployments can no longer be purchased

Subscription licenses for Dynamics NAV (via Solution Provider Agreement (SPA)) are no longer renewable

Subscription use of Dynamics NAV through Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA) is expected to end.

After April 30, 2031, customers will no longer be able to renew Service Plans or subscription licenses, or purchase additional perpetual users for existing Dynamics NAV on-premises deployments.

What this means for customers

Customers running Dynamics NAV should begin evaluating their long-term ERP strategy now. Planning ahead provides greater flexibility to assess migration options, engage with your Microsoft partner, and prepare for future business requirements.

Moving forward with Dynamics 365 Business Central

For customers running Dynamics NAV, this represents a natural point to evaluate the next phase of your ERP strategy. Dynamics 365 Business Central provides a modern, cloud-based foundation to support growth, streamline operations, and enable connected, intelligent business processes.

Business Central brings together finance, operations, and data in a single platform—delivering real-time visibility, built-in AI capabilities, and the flexibility to evolve as your business needs change.

Dynamics GP and Dynamics SL

Similar lifecycle updates were announced for Dynamics GP and Dynamics SL. In June 2025, Microsoft shared key milestones for these products— with product availability ending on April 30, 2031 for Dynamics GP and January 15, 2030 for Dynamics SL. For more details, read the explore migrations blog. Like Dynamics NAV, these systems have supported business-critical processes for years. Now, many organizations are evaluating how to modernize their ERP environments—seeking solutions that offer continuous updates, cloud scalability, and deeper integration across their technology stack. Across Dynamics NAV, Dynamics GP, and Dynamics SL environments, the common priority is clear: move from maintaining legacy systems to building on a platform designed for today’s future business needs.

Why migrate to Business Central today?

Organizations running legacy on-premises ERP solutions should consider migrating to Dynamics 365 Business Central as part of a broader modernization strategy.

Modernize core operations. Business Central is a comprehensive cloud ERP solution spanning finance, operations, inventory, sales, service, manufacturing, and projects.

Leverage AI and automation. Built-in AI capabilities help automate routine tasks, improve customer service, and support more informed decision-making.

Stay current without disruption. Continuous updates help reduce the need for large, costly upgrade cycles while improving performance, security, and functionality over time.

Connect across Microsoft tools. Deep integration with Microsoft 365, Teams, Outlook, Power Platform, and Azure enables connected workflows and real-time insights.

Reduce IT complexity. Moving to the cloud reduces the burden of managing infrastructure, backups, patches, and upgrades while improving security, scalability, and resilience.

Standardize on a modern ERP platform. For organizations operating across multiple legacy systems or business units, Business Central can help simplify operations and create a more connected foundation for future growth.

How to migrate to Business Central

Microsoft provides guidance and tools to help customers transition from on-premises ERP solutions to Business Central. The first step is to work with a Microsoft partner to assess the current environment, including customizations, integrations, data, reporting needs, security requirements, and business processes.

From there, customers can define the right migration approach, timeline, and implementation strategy based on their current ERP environment and business goals.

A typical migration includes:

Assess and plan: Evaluate current ERP version, customizations, integrations, reporting, and business requirements.

Prepare the environment: Identify upgrade paths and determine how customizations will be handled.

Move and validate data: Migrate core business data, validate accuracy, and test business processes.

Enable users and optimize: Configure roles, reporting, and integrations while training users.

Go live with confidence: Transition to the cloud environment and establish a foundation for ongoing innovation.

Transition support

You may be wondering how the transition to Business Central will impact your workflows, operations, and reporting. Our engineering team is prepared with comprehensive overviews of how each capability functions to help you get started. Here are some resources that show direct companions for common workflows:

Migrating from Dynamics NAV, Dynamics GP, or Dynamics SL to Business Central is an opportunity to move to a modern, cloud-based ERP platform that continues to evolve through ongoing updates, new capabilities, and AI innovation. While every migration requires thoughtful planning and change management, organizations that begin evaluating their options now will have greater flexibility to plan their migration, prepare their users, and transition on their own timeline. Working with a trusted Microsoft partner can help ensure a smooth migration and establish a strong foundation for continued innovation and growth as business needs evolve.