Note: The Bridge to the Cloud 2 promotion mentioned in this blog has been extended through the end of 2025.

As a new year approaches, many businesses are budgeting and planning for improvements to be made – adopting new business technologies and software is a strategic move that can poise your business for continued growth, and is a major investment that can pay off in the years to come. Businesses and organizations using a legacy ERP may notice lagging productivity, lackluster features, manual processes, and an outdated user interface, and would likely benefit from a modern, all-in-one solution.

The Microsoft Bridge to the Cloud promotion is a great opportunity to embrace a cloud-hosted ERP solution at a fraction of the normal cost—Business Central is available for discounted licensing, plus a guided upgrade/migration path from a trusted technology solutions partner. The promotion was first rolled out for 2022, but has been extended to give more organizations the opportunity to migrate to Business Central—however, the promotion will end on December 31.

Read on to learn more about the promotion and what you should know going forward.

What’s changing in 2023?

Currently, qualifying customers using currently using Dynamics GP, Dynamics NAV, or Dynamics SL (or the On-Premise version of Business Central) will receive a 60% discount on licensing costs, dual access rights, and a transition period of up to four years.

The good news is that the promotion will become available as of February 1, 2023, but with reduced benefits. Going forward, qualifying customers will receive a 40% discount on licensing costs with a three-year moving period. It’s still a great opportunity to upgrade to Business Central at a lower price point.

Can I still take part in the current promotion?

The current promotion rates run through December 31, 2022. If you act quickly, you may be able to cash in on this year’s benefits. Get in touch with us to see if you qualify →

What happens after the promo term ends?

This promo is a one-way transition, which means after the promotion term expires, customers will fully migrate to Business Central online and no longer have their original ERP solution or licenses. This is a great opportunity for businesses who know they want to migrate eventually but aren’t ready to fully commit just yet.

What are dual access rights?

Promotion customers are entitled to dual access rights, meaning you can use your current ERP solution during the move and up until your promotion term ends. This means that as you implement, customize, and test Business Central, you can still use your current ERP like normal. Note that only one of these solutions can be live at a time, so while you continue to use your Dynamics GP, Dynamics NAV, or Dynamics SL solution, Business Central will only be available for testing.

Specific benefits for each qualifying application:

Each of the Microsoft ERPs that qualify for this promotion (NAV, SL, and GP) will benefit from huge cost savings on licenses, dual access rights to their current system as well as Business Central, and a no-rush transition to Business Central over the promotional period. And, of course, once they move to Business Central, the technological and intuitive nature of the ERP mean vast benefits to the business going forward. On an individual basis, each legacy application benefits uniquely from a move to Business Central:

Dynamics NAV

Business Central is built on the bones of Dynamics NAV and is the newest generation of NAV; therefore, any company on NAV who wants to stay up to date with the latest technology will want to upgrade to Business Central. Because Business Central is, in essence, the next step in NAV’s evolution, those comfortable using NAV will have very little trouble getting used to the new system–this means a quicker adoption and little disruption in day-to-day processes, all while reaping the rewards that the upgrade provides.

Dynamics GP

Many GP users are loyal to the legacy solution; however, Microsoft has made their prioritization of Business Central clear. While there is no sunset date on the ERP (and we will continue to support GP), there will be no major upgrades and no new features coming to GP. Small updates, like bug patches and tax-related changes, will be the only changes. This means that Dynamics GP will be a time capsule of technology, never to touch the cutting edge of tech again. Dynamics GP users, upon moving to Business Central, will notice myriad benefits, such as a more modern and intuitive interface, high customizability, the ability to leverage dimensions, no more hung up batches, and more.

Dynamics SL

Microsoft will stop providing mainstream support for Dynamics SL 2018 in January of 2024. That alone is a strong push to seek out a new, more modern ERP that will continue to receive upgrades and support. Beyond that, the benefits of moving to a cloud ERP alone provides perks like not needing to rely on or invest in hardware or a remote desktop service, flexible licensing, scalability, and improved security. Business Central also is an excellent choice for almost any industry, offering a robust out-of-the-box solution with a high degree of customizability to make it perfect for your industry and your processes.

What happens after the initial promotional period?

After the initial one-year promotional period, customers will have three options:

1. The client can choose not to continue their transition to the cloud and revert back to their original solution and licenses. This is the one chance for a customer to change their mind within this promotion. However, those customers who select this option and plan to re-enroll their Enhancement will be liable for lapsed fees for the duration of the promotional term.

2. The client can migrate fully to Business Central at that time.

3. The client can continue the promotional benefits in one-year extensions for up to three years. If this option is chosen, the customer is locked into their decision to migrate fully to the cloud whenever they cease renewing their yearly extensions of the promotion.

The Bridge to the Cloud 2 promotion starts up in February of 2023, and though it is not as extreme a deal as the original Bridge to the Cloud (ending with 2022), there are still significant benefits that are being extended through this new version of the promotion. It’s an excellent cost-savings opportunity, and ideal for businesses who know they need to transition to a new ERP soon, but don’t want to rush the process or don’t have the time to allocate to the implementation process right now.

We’re offering free consultations to help you determine if you qualify for the Bridge to the Cloud promotion. We can walk you through the promotion process, what you can expect, and help you get started if you decide it’s right for you.