Dynamics NAV is now Dynamics 365 Business Central

Microsoft is a leading business management and ERP solutions provider. Microsoft Dynamics Navision (NAV) has ruled the business landscape ever since its launch. It is an ERP solution that smartly integrates and manages all the mission-critical processes, including sales, purchasing, accounting, and others to ensure business growth.

However, Microsoft Dynamics NAV is now Dynamics 365 Business Central.

Dynamics 365 Business Central offers the same functionality as Dynamics NAV with added flexibility to deploy in the cloud or on-premises.

Dynamics 365 Business Central is designed as an all-in-one business management solution, offering a comprehensive outlook of business proceedings for smart decisions for small to medium-sized businesses.

But what does it mean for Dynamics NAV existing users?

Microsoft has left no stone unturned to make upgrading and migrating to Dynamics 365 Business Central from Dynamics NAV seamless. It offers three ways to upgrade.

Option 1: Business Central On-Premises Perpetual

The first option for existing Microsoft Dynamics NAV customers to upgrade to Business Central On-premises is by getting two named Business Central users for every concurrent NAV user purchased before October 1, 2018. Thus, a starter pack of Business Central On-Premises will get you six essentials users. Similarly, you can get two essential users with a full user non-extended pack. While the starter pack with extended capability can give you six premium users, the full user pack with extended capability will give you two premium users.

Option 2: Business Central On-Premises Subscription

Microsoft is also offering NAV customers the option to purchase Business Central licenses on a per user per month basis. It involves lesser initial investment and gives you more flexibility and scalability as you can increase the number of licenses as your business grows. You can further lower your expenses by hosting the licenses on Microsoft Azure. Of course, it will involve Azure-hosting cost but it is usually cheaper than running an on-premises server or outsourcing to a local partner.

Option 3: Business Central SaaS

SAVE 40% ON LICENSES UNTIL JUNE 30, 2022

You also have the option of deploying Business Central as a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution. It can be advantageous as you get licenses and hosting included in one monthly subscription of SaaS deployments. However, Business Central SaaS has some limitations in terms of scope for customisation, for which you can utilise Extensions 2.0 to enhance your solution. Microsoft is offering a 40% discount on Business Central SaaS licenses for existing Microsoft Dynamics customers (as of 1st April 2018), due to run until June 30 2022.

Other Options

Business Ready Enhancement Plan (BREP)

When planning to upgrade from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Business Central ensure that you are up to date with your Business Ready Enhancement Plan (BREP) payments because only that will make you eligible for the above offers. If not, a simple calculation can help you know how much you owe – add 3% penalty to 16% of the original license price per annum. This calculation will help you decide between back paying your BREP and re-enrolling as a new customer.