NAV Is End of Life — And If You Don’t Know That by Now…

Alex Hughes
2 hours ago
4 min read

Let’s be honest — this isn’t breaking news.If you’ve been anywhere near the Dynamics world in the past year, you’ve already heard us (and just about everyone else) say it: Navision is officially end of life.

We’ve written about it. Microsoft’s confirmed it. And most businesses are now somewhere between “We know” and “We really should do something about that.”

So if you’re still running NAV, this blog isn’t a warning — it’s a wake-up call.

Because while you’re waiting, other businesses have already made the jump… and they’re not looking back.

💣 What “End of Life” Really Means (No, It’s Not Just a Label)

We know — NAV still runs. Your reports still generate. Invoices still post.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: “working” doesn’t mean “safe, efficient, or scalable.”

When Microsoft calls time on a product, it’s not about forcing upgrades — it’s about progress. End of life means:

❌ No more updates or security patches — the longer you stay, the bigger your risk.
❌ No official support — if something breaks, you’re on your own.
❌ No compatibility — new Windows updates, browsers, and apps will slowly stop playing nice.
❌ Rising costs — every patch, integration or bug fix becomes a bespoke job.
❌ Shrinking talent pool — fewer partners still support NAV, and those who do are getting harder to find.

It’s not fear-mongering — it’s reality.

And it’s why businesses are finally asking the real question: “What’s next?”

🚀 Where You Go From Here: Business Central

Here’s the short version — Business Central is what NAV always wanted to be.

It’s built on the same trusted foundation, just evolved for the way modern businesses actually work.

1. It’s still Microsoft — just modern

No need to relearn everything. The logic, layout, and terminology will feel familiar — just faster, cleaner, and more intuitive.

2. It lives in the cloud

No servers. No version upgrades. No “who forgot to back that up?”

Everything updates automatically (or when you set it to), securely, and seamlessly — because Microsoft Azure’s got your back.

3. It works with the tools you already use

Outlook, Excel, Teams, Power BI — it all connects natively.

You can send a quote straight from an email, reconcile bank feeds in seconds, or see live financial dashboards without touching a spreadsheet.

4. It comes with AI built in

Copilot now helps you summarise customer records, draft invoices, or write sales emails — right inside Business Central.

Less admin, more accuracy, and a lot more time back for your team.

5. It scales when you do

Whether you’re adding sites, products, or people — Business Central flexes effortlessly. No rebuilds, no replacements, just smart growth.

🧭 “But We’re Not Ready for a Huge ERP Project…”

Good news: you don’t need one.

Migrating from NAV to Business Central isn’t a rip-and-replace nightmare — especially when you’ve got people who’ve done it hundreds of times before.

At Dynamics Fanatics, we’ve simplified the process with our 7-Day Kickstart.

That means fast setup, clean data migration, minimal disruption, and real results within weeks — not months.

You keep your data, your people, and your sanity.

We’ll handle the rest.

💡 The Real Difference You’ll Feel After the Move

This isn’t just about “upgrading your system.”

It’s about making your business feel better every single day.

Finance stops fighting spreadsheets and starts trusting live data.
Sales stop guessing what’s in stock — they can see it, in real time.
Reporting goes from a Friday night job to a five-minute click.
Operations flow smoother. Month-end stops being chaos.
Leadership finally has visibility, clarity, and control.

Once you experience Business Central running properly, NAV starts to feel like dial-up internet — nostalgic, but not something you’d go back to.

⚡ If You Haven’t Read Our First Blog — Do That Next

Our earlier post breaks down what the NAV end-of-life announcement really means (and why Microsoft made the move).

But this blog?

This is the sequel — the “so what now?” part.

If you missed the first one, go catch up — then come straight back here and book your Kickstart session. Because every month you wait is a month of manual fixes, compliance risk, and wasted potential.

🧩 People Also Ask

Q: Can I keep using NAV after end of life? You can, but it’s not wise. It’s unsupported, unpatched, and increasingly incompatible with modern systems.

Q: Is Business Central basically NAV in the cloud? Exactly — but better. It’s faster, more secure, easier to update, and fully integrated with Microsoft 365.

Q: How long does migration take? With our 7-Day Kickstart, you’ll be live faster than you think — with clean data, training, and ongoing support.

Q: Can we run a hybrid setup first? Yes. Some businesses start hybrid and go full cloud later — we’ll help you choose the right pace.