Does Microsoft Still Support Dynamics NAV?

Getting NAV support from Microsoft totally depends on your NAV version and the kind of support you are seeking—mainstream support or extended support.

As per the latest data, the mainstream support of all versions has been ended by Microsoft, and businesses have to rely on their NAV implementation or support partner to upgrade their system or fix a bug.

However, extended support for a few NAV versions is still available, and Microsoft will continue releasing updates until a fixed date. Before getting more into the kind of Microsoft NAV support available, let’s understand the concepts of Microsoft's lifecycle policy.

Fixed and Modern Lifecycle Policy

All Microsoft products available till date are based on two lifecycle policies: fixed and modern lifecycle policies. Earlier, Microsoft used to offer all its solutions under a fixed lifecycle policy, but with time, it started to offer its new solutions under a modern lifecycle policy.

Fixed Lifecycle Policy: This policy usually comes with commercial and bulk purchases of any Microsoft solution. It comes with a few offerings that include:

• consistent support from the launch of the solution. 
• Come with 5 years of mainstream support from the date of release. 
• It also comes with 5 years of extended support from the end date of mainstream support. 

Modern Lifecycle Policy: From August 2016, the purchase of any Microsoft solutions comes under the Modern Lifecycle Policy. The product or solution available under this policy will get continuous support and service from Microsoft itself until a few parameters are followed.

• The business must furnish the system requirements for the product or service. 
• Businesses must purchase the licence for a particular product or service. 
• Microsoft must support the solution officially. 

If your solution is running under the Modern Lifecycle Policy, Microsoft will notify you 12 months prior to the end of support so that you can decide whether you have to continue with Microsoft or not.

Mainstream and Extended Support – Know what Microsoft has to offer!

Mainstream and extended support for your NAV version determines what kind of support you will get. It can be a system upgrade or integrating security patches with Dynamics NAV. Microsoft will offer support based on the available support cycle.

Mainstream Support:

As we know, mainstream support for any product or service is available for up to five years from the release of the product. During this tenure, you will get incident support, security updates, support for warranty claims, system upgrades, and more.

(You may need to enrol in the Microsoft Maintenance Program to receive all the benefits of mainstream support.)

Extended Support:

After the end of mainstream support, the tenure of extended support starts. During this period, you will get:

• Timely security updates
• Bug fixes

However, after the end of extended support, you can enroll into Extended Security Update (ESU) program based on your NAV version. With this program, you can get security updates after the end of extended support for a maximum of three years. This program doesn’t include non-security updates, new capabilities, or design change requests to Microsoft.

Check out the below table to know the end dates of mainstream and extended support along with the NAV version. 

As you can see in the above table, the mainstream support of all NAV versions has ended, but extended support is yet to be ended.

If mainstream support for your NAV version has ended too and you are seeking Microsoft support to ensure smooth working, we got you covered. Irrespective of the version and business complexity, Dynamics Square is committed to supporting your business. We have various clients that are streamlining their business operations with classis versions of NAV with the support of our reliable NAV support.

Are NAV and Business Central the Same?

Yes, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is the upgraded version of Dynamics NAV with modern ERP capabilities. Due to technological advancements and changing market demands, Microsoft has transformed the Dynamics NAV into Dynamics 365 Business Central. It is a cloud-based ERP solution for small and medium-sized businesses that offers advanced cloud and automation capabilities to streamline entire business operations with ease.

What to do with Outdated NAV versions?

• You can onboard Dynamics Square to keep your existing NAV working regardless of your changing requirements. We will offer you support and make the necessary system updates to make your NAV aligned with your business needs.
• Based on your existing version, you can upgrade to higher NAV, or you can go directly for a Business Central upgrade. Because, sooner or later, Microsoft will end support for its all-NAV version, and you have to eventually move from the NAV upgrade to Business Central.