It has been 7 years since Microsoft released the last on-premise version of its Dynamics NAV solution with version 2018.

Despite the great interest in and rapid growth of Dynamics 365 Business Central since then, most partners still have Dynamics NAV users in their customer base today. With considerable regional differences, by the way. Where in the UK you have to search for the latest NAV on-premise customers with a light, there are still thousands of active users in Germany.

Microsoft’s 5-year mainstream support period for NAV version 2018 expired on January 10th, 2023. We are now in the extended support phase, which formally ends on January 11th, 2028. So the formal Microsoft support for version 2018 is in the ‘injury time'.

Many older NAV versions are already completely outside of the formal Microsoft support. But for the time being, the BC community seems to be quite capable of fixing any problems independently.

Can vs Want

An important question is how long you, as a Dynamics 365 partner, can continue to support these NAV customers professionally. And therefore be able to meet your obligations in a legal sense. Staff turnover and retirement put considerable pressure on the availability of knowledge. And it is of course crazy to train your new hires in Dynamics NAV now. This is a development that your users should take into account in their migration plans.

From a strategic point of view, how long do you want to support these customers? After all, you can often use these NAV resources much better in your BC projects. And that is also where the future lies.

So cancel support?

Formally canceling the support on Dynamics NAV is a clear signal that the availability is ending. Even if you already announce an end of support as of December 31st, 2026.

Phasing out as plan B?

If your measures are too strict, you run the risk that your NAV customers will switch to another partner. If you want to avoid this risk, it makes sense to think about introducing an SLA with a few levels. From 2026 onwards, you will gradually lower the service level. It seems fair to combine this reduction with an increasingly lower price. After all, that way there is a balance between what you deliver and what the customer pays you.

Adjust or cancel – when?

Many partners use support contracts based on a calendar year with a notice period of 3 months. So if you want to terminate or change the current agreements, you must inform your customers before October 1st, 2025. It seems wise to do this in writing. And I would seriously consider sending those letters by registered mail.

What are your plans?

Now I am curious about what strategy your company will follow. Let me know if you'd like to discuss this further. I'd be happy to help!