Microsoft is changing the way that Dynamics 365 is updated.
The changes will come into effect at the start of 2019. From this time administrators can then expect a shift to two significant Dynamics 365 updates each year. In what is a major improvement, administrators will be able to trial updates prior to their release. Having experimented in their sandbox environments, they can then validate the changes that are relevant to their business.
For users to be able to enjoy these future updates, they need to ensure that they are running the latest version (read our blog on version 9) from Microsoft Dynamics 365 v8.2 by 31 January 2019 (users of Dynamics 365 for Finance & Operations have until 31 March 2019 to update from v7.0, v7.1, v7.2 or v8.0 according to Microsoft).
The importance of upgrading
Akita has previously warned how out-of-date Dynamics instances can risk the gradual redundancy of your whole CRM or ERP. Should staff stop using it, it can require huge amounts of time and effort to re-establish the culture. Considering the exciting update plans that Microsoft has for Dynamics 365, organisations should look to perform their update as soon as possible.
Administrators should not underestimate how long an update can take. Any update they plan to make must first be scheduled and pre-validated by Microsoft. Once the update has taken place, checks will need to be performed to ensure full functionality and integration with programs. For this reason, it’s advisable that administrators undertake updates in their sandbox environments first before deploying to their live instance. This however adds more time to the update, which is why organisations should be looking to update to version 9 now.
Akita can assist organisations to update their instances, allowing for a seamless transition onto the latest Dynamics 365 and Dynamics 365 for Finance & Operations versions. For more information please get in touch.
