AX 2009 & 2012 mainstream support ending soon! – What exactly does this mean for you?
Microsoft has announced that the mainstream support for AX 2009 and AX 2012 will end soon. All Microsoft products have a lifecycle that begins when the product is released and ends it’s no longer supported. Dynamics AX products are normally supported for 10 years from the release date.
What are the End Dates?
- Dynamics AX 2009 – October 2018
- Dynamics AX 2012 – 10/09/18
- Dynamics AX 2012 R2 – 10/09/18
- Dynamics AX 2012 R3 – 10/12/21
What do I get with Mainstream Support again?
Mainstream support includes the following:
- Ability to purchase a paid support agreement
- Security update support
- Non-security hotfix support
- No charge Incident Support
- Warranty Claims
- Design Changes and Feature Requests
- Self Service Support (Microsoft Knowledge Base & Microsoft Help & Support Site)
What does the end of Mainstream Support mean for me?
The end of mainstream support means that Microsoft will no longer enhance that product. Security updates and non-security hotfixes will no longer be supplied, and the warranty claims will end.
So, what are my options??
- Purchase an extended support agreement
- Pay for a custom support contract
- Consider upgrading now to D365
- Do nothing and hope for the best
Extended Support
There are extended support options available for $100,000-150,000 a year which would extend your coverage. Once a product transitions from Mainstream to Extended support, the support is limited to self-service and paid options. Extended Support (again available for a fee) includes the following:
- Ability to purchase a paid support agreement
- Security update support
- Non-security hotfix support (If extended hotfix agreement is purchased within 90 days of ending Mainstream support)
- Self Service Support (Microsoft Knowledge Base & Microsoft Help & Support Site)
Extended Support will expire as well. The end dates for Extended Support are as follows:
- Dynamics AX 2009 – 10/12/21
- Dynamics AX 2012 – 10/12/21
- Dynamics AX 2012 R2 – 10/12/21
- Dynamics AX 2012 R3 – 01/10/23
Custom Support Contracts
The only options outside of Extended Support are paid custom support contracts. Updates to the product, including security updates, should not be expected outside of the terms defined within paid custom support contracts.
What about Security Patches?
In general Microsoft only considers security or regulatory updates to legacy systems. Microsoft provides security hotfixes beyond the extended support period. The last planned security hotfixes have been provided at the following dates:
- Dynamics AX 2009 - 4/12/2022
- Dynamics AX 2012 - 4/12/2022
- Dynamics AX 2012 R2 – 4/12/2022
- Dynamics AX 2012 R3 – 1/10/2023 (same as extended support)
Upgrade to Dynamics 365
We realize that it is a common dilemma to choose between an upgrade to a newer version or face the fact that you won’t be able to count on Microsoft anymore for fixing issues, security, and their resources. So how do you decide what to do??
- Start talking to your partner to determine if an upgrade to D365 makes sense for you
- Make sure you are up to date on your Microsoft Enhancement plan to take advantage of the 40% discount on upgrading to D365
- Take advantage of Arbela’s FREE upgrade assessment
Why would I spend the money to upgrade to D365?
We’d like to help you see the ROI for considering the upgrade path. Choosing to go upgrade to D365 will help you:
- Reduce infrastructure costs by moving to the cloud
- The cloud model offers monthly subscription fees vs the large up-front cost
- New features and functionality, including embedded BI and availability on mobile devices
- Moving to the cloud allows for scalability and growth at your own rate
- Reduce customizations by around 40% (especially if you’ve made customizations around BI, manufacturing or retail)
- Stability and Security of Azure, including disaster recovery
- New user interface that will boost productivity
- Never budget for an upgrade or implementation again
- Leverage the capabilities of Power Apps and Flow to enable business workflows that were not possible in AX or CRM
- Not excited about the cloud, On Prem version of D365 is available in June
Do Nothing and Hope for the Best?
We can understand the hesitation to upgrade if Dynamics AX is working well for you. Just be sure to understand what not upgrading means to you.
- Educate yourself on exactly what Microsoft will and won’t do to once Mainstream Support ends
- Pay attention to how many customizations you’re making to keep up with industry demands
- Your partner will still be there to help you with Dynamics AX
- Yes, you can still add user licenses to both Dynamics AX 2009 and Dynamics AX 2012
Argano is here to help you understand your options. Please reach out to us for more information on what this means to you.
For more information on Microsoft Support and Product Lifecycles, please see this FAQ page:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17140/lifecycle-faq-general-policy-questions