If your business runs on Microsoft Dynamics Business Central, you’ve probably heard us mention upgrades. But what does that actually mean, why does it matter, and what do you need to do about it? Here’s a straightforward breakdown.
What are Business Central upgrades?
Business Central is Microsoft’s ERP solution, and like any software, Microsoft continuously improves it. They release two new versions every year, each one containing bug fixes and new features.Vertex selects versions that are beneficial to you and your organization and rolls them out in a timely manner.
The add-on extensions that many businesses use alongside Business Central, for payroll, reporting, or other needs, are also tied to these base versions. When Microsoft moves forward, the extensions need to move with it.
What happens if you don’t upgrade?
Every Business Central version has a support lifecycle. Once that window closes, Microsoft stops issuing hotfixes and updates for that version. Add-on providers follow the same model. That means no security patches, no bug fixes, and if something goes seriously wrong, Vertex loses the ability to escalate the issue directly to Microsoft on your behalf.
Which parts of your system are affected?
All of them. Upgrades touch every module in Business Central, Finance, Sales, Purchasing, Inventory, Manufacturing, and Payroll.
What are the benefits of staying current?
Beyond just keeping support active, upgrading gives your business access to new features and functionality with each release, resolves known bugs that may be slowing your team down, keeps Business Central compatible with the rest of the Microsoft stack (Windows, SQL Server, Edge), allows Vertex to escalate support tickets directly to Microsoft when needed, and ensures payroll extension providers can push required regulatory updates, including year-end forms and reporting, to your system.
How does the upgrade process work?
Vertex handles the upgrade for you. Contact our support team to get scheduled, upgrades typically happen in Q2 or Q3 each year, and we complete them over weekends to avoid disrupting your business.
If you’re on Vertex Cloud, you also receive additional infrastructure updates at no extra cost, including OS and platform-level patches.
Don’t wait until support ends
Staying current on Business Central isn’t just a technical task, it protects your investment, keeps your team supported, and ensures your system stays compliant and secure. If you’re not sure what version you’re on or whether an upgrade is coming up, reach out to the Vertex Support team and we’ll take it from there.