Top Microsoft Dynamics GP News of 2015

As Microsoft Dynamics GP heads toward its next major release in April 2016, the end of 2015 has started to feel like the conclusion of a chapter for the ERP solution. While Dynamics GP continues on with new features, user interface improvements, and architectural updates, it does so with fewer resources and less certainty about its long term competitiveness.

Some changes in 2015 have been undeniable - the shift of R&D and product management resources away from GP and toward Dynamics NAV was there for anyone to see through recent conference appearances and online presentations. So far that change has resulted in NAV gaining some much needed financial management capabilities, a perennial strength of GP. And GP has been a step behind NAV and AX in aligning its product roadmap to Microsoft's "mobile-first cloud-first" world view in areas like SaaS ERP, mobility, and BI.

None of this is to say that Dynamics GP is doomed, failing, or otherwise going away. Its legacy, customer base, and channel expertise have made it a success, first as Great Plains and later as Dynamics GP. And partners continue to deliver a solution that is a fit for many SMBs. And if the GP team can continue to push forward on technology like the service-based architecture (SBA) and new web interface while maintaining the confidence of its ISV partners, they will likely continue to deliver winning business solutions.

Reflecting back on Dynamics GP in 2015, as we will do below, we also turn our thoughts to what 2016 will bring. We have already explored the broader themes that defined 2015 for the Microsoft Dynamics community: organizational change at Microsoft; Azure; the evolution of Convergence; ...