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Introducing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

Scott Brennan

Apr 12 2018

3 min read

On April 2, 2018, Microsoft released a new SaaS (software as a service) offering as part of the Dynamics family, Dynamics 365 Business Central. If you heard rumblings of a project that Microsoft code-named “Tenerife,” Dynamics 365 Business Central is the final product name for that initiative.

What is Dynamics 365 Business Central?

Microsoft explains that Business Central “offers organizations a single, end to end solution for managing finances, operations, sales and customer service, and an opportunity to easily upgrade from their entry-level accounting software and legacy ERP systems.”

Dynamics 365 Business Central is based upon the Dynamics NAV 2018 code base. Dynamics NAV itself has a rather long and rich history, including 160,000 customers, 2.7 million users while being deployed in 195 countries worldwide.

Based upon the current Microsoft Product Roadmap, there is no plan to eliminate the on-premises version of Dynamics NAV. It will continue to run in parallel with the D365BC offering. Microsoft currently plans on making automatic monthly updates to the D365BC service with smaller updates coming each month and larger updates coming every six months. Those same updates will be delivered in the cumulative updates to the on-premises version of Dynamics NAV. Come the Fall of 2018, Microsoft plans to also re-brand the on-premises offering as D365BC as well.

What Can Dynamics 365 Business Central Do?

D365BC does everything you’d expect from a Dynamics ERP. It has a number of varied modules to fit nearly every type of business: Finance, Sales, Purchasing, Inventory, Warehousing, Manufacturing, Jobs, Service Management and CRM. There is no user limit, company limit, or database size limit. No matter how much your business grows, D365BC can stay with you.

One of the best features of D365BC is that it can integrate seamlessly with so many other Microsoft applications. It has a deep integration with Office 365, not to mention Power Suite, Power BI, Power Apps, and Microsoft Flow. The ERP software also has numerous other business APIs it can easily assimilate with. For software developers and “super users,” there is an In-App Designer you can use to create your own extensions.

How Can Our Business Get Dynamics 365 Business Central?

Customers can sign up for a free trial now for D365BC from Microsoft’s product website. However, the software can only be purchased through Microsoft Cloud Solution Providers.

Dynamics 365 Business Central is already available in Canada, US, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. On July 1, 2018, it will be available in Australia and New Zealand.

Contact us today to learn more about Dynamics 365 Business Central, and how to implement it as your ERP solution.

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About the Author

Scott Brennan

Scott Brennan has specialized in project management, solution architecting and deploying enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. For 20+ years, he has participated in every aspect of the ERP software lifecycle from sales to development to support. He also has experience in global software hub and spoke deployments.