Your ERP/CRM solution: Will it soon become a
“Burning Platform” -
like Windows 95?

A global Challenge: Cloud Migration

A lot is changing in the global IT industry right now: the migration from traditional on-premises software solutions to the cloud is a major challenge for vendors of ERP/CRM solutions and their implementation partners. Not only do they need a clear vision, development power and significant R&D budgets, but also strong marketing and sales teams to convince the existing customer base to migrate. Mny companies forget an active policy for the development of versions and their release as a strategic factor. Yet this is essential for the long-term success of a vendor.

ERP/CRM Solutions: Crucial for your Success

For many companies, ERP/CRM solutions are also critical success factors. Just think of how important it is to be well organized, proactive, transparent and agile based on modern business processes and customer-centric approaches.

These are all aspects on which your success or failure depends. It is very important that you work with a solution that ensures both full support of your vendor in troubleshooting and compliance with laws and regulations. It is also essential to understand industry trends and constantly add new features.

Windows 95: a “Burning Platform”

A well-known example of a popular software for which Microsoft has already discontinued active support is the Windows 95 operating system. A few years ago, the company announced well in advance that the product was approaching the end of its active lifecycle. And that the company would no longer guarantee support after a certain date. In this context, Microsoft spent a small fortune on marketing campaigns to ensure that the whole world was informed in good time. Yet there are companies that still work with Windows 95 today - in technical jargon this is a “burning platform”, similar to a burning oil rig.

Is the Future Support of your ERP/CRM Vendor secured?

Your ERP/CRM vendor will be facing similar support decisions in the near future. Especially when it comes to their on-premises solutions. This also includes the infrastructure consisting of operating system (and its versions), database, reporting tools and the server itself.

If you are using Microsoft Dynamics 365 On-Premises, here is the link to a Microsoft landing page that shows you what official support you can expect for your current version: Microsoft Lifecycle Policy . The page is updated on an ongoing basis. This shows once again how important the interests of customers are to Microsoft.

Support for Dynamics NAV continues - yet it makes Sense to switch to the Cloud

And what about Dynamics NAV - Microsoft’s on-premises ERP solution? Its users can breathe a sigh of relief for the time being. Because Microsoft has announced that it will continue to support the solution. And will continue to provide customers with new versions. However, major innovations are planned for the Business Central cloud solution - after all, the product line is Microsoft’s strategic offering for SMEs. So it makes sense for Dynamics NAV customers to migrate to the cloud in the long term.

Business Central: future-proof ERP Solution for SMEs

There are even more reasons why the switch to Business Central - and therefore to the cloud - makes sense:

• The platform system: It enables seamless integration, e.g. with Microsoft Teams or with the business intelligence solution Power BI. This is a major advantage over a single stand-alone solution, with which networking is much more difficult.

• Microsoft’s partner ecosystem: Users can rely on support - no matter where they are in the world. Thanks to the different specializations of the partners, you continuously receive new impulses and even international rollouts are no problem.

• AppSource : This allows you to customize the ERP solution to your individual ERP requirements and the implementation of add-ons is as easy as shopping at Ikea. AGOLUTION has also made available several apps in AppSource.

• Business Central is the “leader among the leaders” in the ERP segment in terms of functionality and user-friendliness. This recently emerged from a study by Nucleus Research. Here, Microsoft also overtook its competitor SAP, for example.

A Decision for Microsoft Why this
is also a Decision
for Continuous Innovation

Dynamics 365 BC can replace your current ERP/CRM Solution - before it becomes a “Burning Platform”

If you are not yet working with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, we recommend that you talk to your current ERP vendor about the topic of support. Get written confirmation of how long and to what extent your current ERP solution will still be actively supported and what you may have to expect after this period has expired.

If that doesn’t look good, we advise you to look for an alternative solution and a suitable ERP vendor that will support you in the long term.

And what is the best way to go about this? In the past, the classic way was usually a tendering process. This is no longer absolutely necessary today. There is a lot of information freely available online - enough to make a good pre-selection of your next ERP or CRM system or partner. It is often sufficient to clarify a few essential questions to guide you in your search and selection.

Your ERP/CRM solution is the beating heart of your business and it’s your job to keep it beating. You have to do something about it so that you don’t end up stranded on a “burning platform” - like the Windows 95 users.