The future of Dynamics SL as we know it

One of the most common questions we hear from customers is “I’m being told I have to replace Dynamics SL now, what do you think?” We’ve shared our thoughts on this point so frequently that we decided it was time to put it in writing.

The simple answer to that question is that you don’t have to replace SL now but you will need to eventually. The facts, as we understand them, are that Microsoft decided to stop selling Dynamics SL to new customers on September 30, 2023 and they have published the dates for the end of mainstream and extended support for SL 2018, which is expected to be the last major version.

Microsoft’s stated policy is to continue mainstream support for SL 2018 until January 9, 2024 and extended support until July 11, 2028. The difference being that once in extended support software updates will no longer be provided, with the exception of the possibility of fixes for security vulnerabilities. The last cumulative update for SL 2018 is expected to be available in December of 2023. However, even after the expiration of extended support, paid support and self-help support may still be available from Microsoft for a time. During the mainstream and extended support periods customers can purchase additional 2018 modules and add users to their system.

SL 2015 is already in extended support which is planned for expiration January 14, 2025. If you are on this version, you can delay the expiration of extended support by three and a half years by upgrading to SL 2018. If you were on a Microsoft support plan when SL 2018 was released you are entitled to this upgrade at no charge until 2028.

You can confirm this information for yourself at Fixed Lifecycle Policy - Microsoft Lifecycle | Microsoft Learn.

What this means for you

The end of mainstream support or even extended support by Microsoft doesn’t mean you have to stop using Dynamics SL. We have provided support to many clients who continue to use older versions of Dynamics SL for which official support, both mainstream and extended, ended years ago. However, they can be vulnerable to situations where an update to MS Windows, SQL Server, or other operating software may be incompatible in some way with the older version of SL. Over the decades we’ve been supporting SL we’ve seen this happen just a few times to users of out of service versions.

Regardless of your risk tolerance, all SL clients will eventually need to choose another accounting solution, but you have plenty of time to plan carefully for that transition. There are lots of options in the marketplace for accounting software but none will be an exact match to the SL you’ve grown accustomed to and your next solution will likely be more expensive than your current system since most, if not all, systems are now available only by annual subscription. Although no one likes to have change forced upon them, this may be a good opportunity to reevaluate your requirements and the best way to satisfy them. The good news is that you have plenty of time to do that.

We can help

If you still have questions we haven’t answered here, don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’d be happy to help you in any way we can even if it’s nothing more than talking through your options. 

We offer extensive service for both partners who resell SL and customers who use it. Our company is owned by the founders of Solomon Software, the creator of the product that was acquired by Microsoft and rebranded as Dynamics SL, and we still have veterans of that company on our staff. We regularly serve companies by helping them apply software upgrades, creating customizations, providing year end updates for government forms, integrating with other systems, resolving errors, or helping them learn to use new features. We also have some very beneficial add-on software products to help you get more out of your SL system. One of which is a mobile Time and Expense entry system provided by our sister company, Beyond Software.

When you start your planning for what comes after SL we recommend you also consider Beyond’s solution for financial and project accounting which uses the same Time and Expense software that integrates with SL and we have the ability to move all your SL history in the transition.

It's not over

Dynamics SL is a very feature rich and flexible product and still has a lot to offer over the coming years to its very loyal customers. We hope the information provided here has been helpful and will give you useful knowledge and confidence as you plan for your future accounting needs.