Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015’s arrival marked the exit for Business Portal.  The first major release of GP with no web portal since 2007.  That seven year run was not without its issues, but those who embraced Business Portal valued it’s relatively straight forward access allowing employees to view pay, adjust benefits or workflow requests.

Now that it’s gone, what’s next? Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015 includes perhaps the most popular features of Business Portal right in the client.  You might be concerned about the usefulness of bundling these features in the client, unless you’re also familiar with the GP Web Client which launched almost two years ago.  The Silverlight driven web engine allowing users to access the GP client from within just about any modern browser. Along with this comes a new licensing option called “Self-Service User CAL” which presents an affordable way to get these employees to the features they want and these days, expect.

Current Related Promotions:

  • “Microsoft Dynamics GP Three Free Self-serve CALs”, a promotion that provides customers licensed for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 prior to December 1, 2014 three Self-serve User CALs per Full User at no charge to your customers.
  • “Microft Dynamics GP Self-serve CALs for Half”, a promotion that allows you to license Self-serve User CALs for any of your customers on the Perpetual Licensing model at half the license price.
  •  “Microsoft Dynamics GP Limited to Self-serve CAL Conversion”, a promotion that allows you customers with either Limited Concurrent CALs or Limited Concurrent CALs – Upgrade to exchange them for Self-serve User CALs without incurring incremental license or enhancement plan charges.

Ask Premier Computing about these licensing opportunities.

When you’re ready to make the switch, the web client is deployed to an available server, and executes a GP Client for each connected user, presenting it through Silverlight to browsers such as Firefox, Chrome and of course, Internet Explorer. Capability that Business Portal lacked, due to the need for Active X Control support which only exists in Internet Explorer. With this new interest in embracing the use of multiple browsers, Microsoft is showing a clear desire to offer their products across platform. The limiting requirements of Business Portal are surely a prominent reason it’s been dropped in favor of this new Web Client method.

Once connected to the Web Client session, employees are able to modify their own information such as, address, phone number, emergency contacts, dependents and work history. Additionally they can add and modify skillets, training and training history.

It’s a paradigm shift that springs Microsoft Dynamics GP into a more modern interface it deserves, to support the robust features and unmatched combination of capabilities which brought you to the platform in the first place.