The summer is behind us and we’re now into September, hard to believe!
Many of us are settling into the post vacation and back to school mindset.
With Autumn comes a sense of addressing tasks that we have put off in the summer to enjoy that special time of the year. Since we’re on this topic, have you been putting off an annual review of your business software systems till now?
A business review will help you understand if you have the latest version of Dynamics GP, and if not, what risks or benefits your users are missing out on. Our Micro Force clients who are on a service plan are entitled to this valuable service. So feel free to reach out to schedule it.
Make Sure You are Not at Risk Using a Non-Supported Version of Great Plains
Microsoft will not provide helpdesk or any assistance for non-supported versions of Dynamics GP. If you are not using GP 2018, your system is at risk of encountering an issue that cannot be resolved due to using a non-supported version of Dynamics GP. You can avoid this by scheduling an upgrade of your system with our support team, and by doing so, not only will you eliminate the risk of these issues, but you’ll enjoy the latest version of GP that comes with new features as well.
Since we cannot receive support services from Microsoft for non-supported versions, this will limit how many helpdesk staff members can service your non-supported system. And we have had support requests for non-supported versions that we could never resolve, which caused significant costs and pain for those clients. As a result, we will be increasing our helpdesk support service rates for clients that are not using a non-supported version of Dynamics GP. This will go into effect January 1, 2023.
If you are currently using GP 2013, 2015 or 2016, our recommendation is to plan to schedule your software upgrade asap. To begin this process and receive a quote, please email your request to sales@micro-force.com.
Dynamics GP Tip of the Month
When in a date field, you can just type the day and tab. For example, just type 01 or 1 and tab and the date will fill in the date field correctly, 4/1, based on the current month and year that you are in.
Office Changes 365 That Will Impact Dynamics GP Email & Workflow Functionality
Recently, Microsoft announced security changes to Office 365 and Exchange Online. Effective October 1, 2022, basic authentication protocols will be replaced with a new modern protocol to secure Exchange Online and hosted Office 365 from possible cyber-attacks. A side effect of these security changes is that email and workflow functionality will be negatively impacted in older versions of Dynamics GP.
Will this change impact me?
If you’re using Dynamics GP 18.2 or another older version such as GP 2010, GP 2013, GP 2015, GP 2016, or GP 2018, then these security changes will disrupt the email and workflow functionality.
If you are on an older version of GP and do not use email or workflow functionality, then this change will not impact you. If you’re currently on Dynamics GP 18.3 or higher, you will not be impacted by this change because the Modern Authentication is already operational in GP 18.3 or later.
Why did Microsoft make this change?
Basic Authentication, which is TLS 1.0, is an outdated industry standard. Utilizing basic authentication opens users up to phishing emails, compromised files, ransomware attacks, and more.
Modern Authentication, which is TLS 1.2, helps increase your organizations security because it uses modern encryption of keys. It also supports features such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), certificate-based authentication (CBA), as well as a few others.
The history of authentication protocols starts with Microsoft writing SSL back in the 1990’s and then it was replaced with TLS 1.0, which then evolved to TLS 1.2. The change is happening now because Exchange and Office 365 are mandating TLS 1.2 across all programs.
Do we have to upgrade?
If you are currently using email and/or workflow capabilities, upgrading to version 18.3 or later is for many the easiest and best answer. This upgrade also will allow you to benefit from new features and enhanced security in the latest version of Dynamics GP.
However, depending upon how you are using email and workflows there may be some options that don’t require an upgrade.
What should I do?
Don’t wait for year end. Please reach out now to your Micro Force consultant or email support@micro-force.com to find out how these changes may impact your business and to determine the best option for you.
Thank you once again for choosing Micro Force, we truly value our partnership together and the opportunity to serve your business solution needs!
Sincerely,
Jim McCann
Partner, Senior Sales Analyst
Micro Force, a Velosio Affiliate
Phone: (631) 421-1030 x 302 / (212) 777-7029 x 302
Email: jmccann@micro-force.com