Great,Plains,Support,Covering, computer Great Plains Support: Covering All Versions - Dynamics GP, P

----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website,offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as longas no changes a Gone are those times when the companies and the organisations didn't need a hi-tech system to handle them. Owing to the considerable increase in the business sector and thus, an enormous increase in the complexity of the organisational struc

In this small publication we will review all versions of GPA, Great Plains and Microsoft Dynamics GP (from earlier 1990th up to May 2010) and their support methods.  If your version is not described in details, please feel free to contact us to get additional information, as here we are trying to keep balanced info approach:1.In this first paragraph we are listing all the versions of GP: Microsoft Dynamics GP 11.0 (should be released in May 2010), 10.0, 9.0,8.0 and 7.5; Microsoft Great Plains 7.0; Great Plains on Pervasive SQL 2000 (formerly known as Btrieve) or Ctree 7.5, 7.0, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, 4.0,3.2; Great Plains eEnterprise 7.0, 6.0 (on MS SQL Server 2000 and 7.0); Great Plains Dynamics C/S+ 5.5, 5.0, 4.0, 3.2; Great Plains Accounting for DOS and Windows 9.5, 9.2 and earlier versions.  Mac versions of Great Plains Dynamics: 5.0, 4.0, 3.2 and earlier (for Great Plains for Mac you had options to host Great Plains Server on Windows NT Server or Mac Server)2.Microsoft Dynamics GP upgrade highlights.  We strongly recommend you to be current in Microsoft Business Solutions annual enhancement program, by doing so you will have access to Customer Source, new version registration keys, and have discounts on MBS support cases.  Plus, we recommend you to synchronize your Microsoft Dynamics GP Upgrade schedule with GP versions, supported directly by Microsoft Business Solutions (typically two latest versions, currently in December 2009 these are Dynamics GP 10.0 and 9.0).  If you are on Microsoft Dynamics GP 8.0 or 7.5, this is now time to expedite update to Dynamics GP 10.0.  Great Plains upgrade general recommendations - if you like being on the technology edge, feel free to upgrade as new version is released, however if you prefer conservative way - wait until at least first or even better second service pack is released3.Microsoft Great Plains Support Highlights.  If you are on earlier Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains versions 7.0 and 6.0, chances are high that you are no longer active in MBS annual enhancement program and your strategy is to stay with your historical version as long as possible with future possible walk away or upgrade when Microsoft announces forgiveness to the customers without annual contract.  Microsoft GP had two blends: Great Plains Professional (on Microsoft SQL Server) and Select (on Pervasive SQL 2000/Btrieve and Ctree).  The last version available on non Microsoft SQL Server platform (MSDE is in fact scaled down MS SQL 2000, so we assume that MSDE 2000 is similar to SQL Server) was Microsoft Dynamics GP 7.5 (when GP version 7.5 was announced, it was known as Microsoft Great Plains 7.5 and later on it was rebranded as Microsoft Dynamics GP).  There is virtually no problems with Pervasive SQL 2000 server move to Windows 2003 or even Windows 2008 Server (you will need to open Pervasive SQL Port 1583, as by default Windows 2008 ports are closed).  If you would like to move MS SQL Server Great Plains version to new hardware, then you should be careful with supported DB platform.  Good example - Microsoft SQL Server 2005 is compatible with Dynamics GP 10.0, 9.0 and 8.0 (with latest service pack applied).  If your target is MS SQL Server 2008, be sure that you are on Dynamics GP 10.04.Great Plains for Apple Macintosh,  The battle between MS Windows, Mac and Unix was extremely harsh and severe in late 1990th, especially when Power Mac was introduced around 1995 (with RISC processor from IBM, which probably made Motorola a bit unhappy).   Finally Great Plains Software had to abandon Mac Great Plains Business Line somewhere around GP version 5.0.  This was really sad event for our company, as we were enthusiasts of Macintosh computers in time, and plus we had certified CPA and Great Plains Functional and Technical consultants in Staff5.Great Plains Accounting for DOS, Windows and Macintosh.  If you are on GPA as your Corporate ERP application, chances are high that you have to watch for every penny in Accounting Application support and upgrade.  We respect this position and we are ready to support your GPA application.  Typically you have issues with corrupted GPA files (often historical Sales file).  We also heard questions on moving GPA from Windows NT to Microsoft Windows 2003 or 2008 (including move of Pervasive SQL Server 2000 SP3)6.Legacy ecommerce versions integration support.  As you might be aware, Dynamics GP ecommerce is often comes together with eConnect programming and integration.  In our opinion eConnect came to its maturity somewhere around 2006 or with Microsoft Dynamics GP version 9.07.Great Plains Dynamics Customization Support  Great Plains Customizations were programmed in GP Dexterity, typically in late 1990th (you can still find large number of Great Plains Dexterity modifications programmed in earlier 2000th) and our goal here is to provide reasonable semaphore for you to hold on, take a pause and finally find Great Plains technical consultant