Microsoft Dynamics NAV: Support for Your Current System and a Path Forward
Microsoft Dynamics NAV still runs daily operations at a lot of small and medium-sized businesses. It works, your team knows the user interface, and replacing it has never been urgent enough to reach the top of the list.
NAV is no longer sold and is now a legacy product, no version remains in mainstream support, and the final release loses extended support in January 2028.
Integrated Systems Solutions supports existing NAV environments and helps companies plan the move when the timing makes sense.
Which NAV Version You Are Running and Your Support Deadlines
Microsoft Dynamics NAV Support Status
Microsoft no longer sells new NAV licenses. The product line ended with NAV 2018, and Microsoft no longer provides updates for unsupported NAV versions. If you are trying to expand an existing system, new NAV licenses are not available at any tier.
All versions are out of mainstream support; what remains is extended support on the final releases, and those dates are close. If you are not certain which version you run, that is common — and one of the first things we establish.
Microsoft NAV as an Enterprise Resource Planning System
Microsoft Dynamics NAV is Microsoft’s legacy enterprise resource planning platform for small and mid-sized organizations, rebranded from Navision software in 2004. It is traditionally deployed as an on-premises solution on local company servers with a Microsoft SQL Server database rather than delivered as a cloud service.
NAV connects core business functions and processes — finance, supply chain, manufacturing, warehousing — into a single centralized platform, rather than separate tasks and data silos. Its modular design let companies add functionality as they grew, and its proprietary programming language allowed deep customization, which is why NAV environments look nothing alike.
Financial Management
Financial management and multi-currency financial reporting, with the ability to manage finance across entities.
Inventory and Purchasing
Inventory management, purchase orders, and automated workflows for purchasing
Production and Capacity Planning
Production scheduling, resource allocation, and capacity planning.
Service Management
Service management capabilities for field service and tracking customer interactions.
Project Management
Project management for resources, budgets, and cash flow by job.
Managing Inventory and Supply Chain Business Operations
For most NAV customers, managing inventory is why the system exists. NAV tracks stock levels and movements across locations, automates supply chain management tasks to reduce overhead, and handles the purchasing and fulfillment supply chain activities that drive a distribution business.
Most NAV environments we see belong to distributors and product companies. Manufacturers running production scheduling have similar considerations, and professional services firms use NAV for project accounting. Where NAV falls short against modern ERP platforms is real-time visibility and mobile warehouse access — a growing problem as customer expectations around delivery tighten.
Dynamics NAV Support From ISS
We still take on NAV work, including ongoing support for environments we did not implement. Companies here often find their original partner has moved on, and need someone who can keep a heavily customized system stable. Day-to-day questions come through our support request process.
Keeping Custom Workflows and Integrations Running
Most NAV environments carry years of custom workflows, modifications, and integrations to other ERP systems and business applications. We maintain those, work out what undocumented modifications actually do, and keep the connections functioning.
Financial Reporting and Access to Your Business Data
Getting useful financial reporting out of an aging current NAV environment is one of our most common requests. Usually the financial data is fine, and the problem is extraction. We work directly against the SQL Server database to turn business data into actionable insights for data-driven decisions — generally solvable without replacing the system.
Your Migration Paths From MS Dynamics NAV
Two realistic destinations, and we implement both. As a Microsoft ERP Partner that also implements Acumatica, we can compare them honestly rather than steer you toward the only product we sell.
For most NAV customers we work with, Acumatica is where we point first. It is a cloud ERP solution built for growing mid-market companies, with strong distribution and inventory functionality and consumption-based licensing rather than per-user fees — which matters when warehouse staff, production users, and outside sales all need access.
There is a specific reason this fits NAV customers. If your environment is heavily customized, you face a re-implementation regardless of platform — and once a rebuild is on the table, the question shifts from “what is the shortest path” to “what ERP platform fits how we operate now.” Eastman Music and Harbor Truck Bodies both run on Acumatica with ISS.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is Microsoft’s direct successor to NAV and a legitimate option. It launched in 2018 on the NAV codebase, so it carries the same core functionality and a familiar data model. Business Central supports cloud integration and AI capabilities, including Microsoft Copilot for routine finance tasks, and connects natively to Microsoft 365, Power BI, and Power Platform.
It comes in two editions: Business Central Essentials covers finance, inventory, sales, and projects, with Premium adding manufacturing and service management. We include Business Central training in every implementation — familiar core features do not mean a familiar system.
What Changes: User Interface, Cloud Access, and Licensing Model
Three practical differences matter more than any feature list, and they are the key benefits companies notice. The user interface is modernized and browser-based, so training is required even where functionality is recognizable. Cloud access replaces local server maintenance, and updates arrive automatically rather than as manual upgrades that often take months. The licensing model moves to a per-seat subscription with monthly user licenses, changing both budgeting and how you count users. A modern platform also keeps pace with tax regulations automatically.
Upgrade or Re-Implementation?
Moving from NAV to Business Central online is not a single-step upgrade for most environments. Depending on your version and customization level, the path may involve upgrading the on-premises environment first before migrating to the cloud, and customizations built in NAV’s proprietary language generally have to be rebuilt as extensions. The more customized your environment, the more a migration to either platform resembles a fresh implementation with your data brought along — a reason to scope it properly, not to delay.
Data Migration From Dynamics NAV
Data migration is where NAV projects succeed or stall. We start by establishing what actually needs to move: open transactions, customer and vendor records, inventory and item data, and financial history are each handled differently, and deciding how many years of history to carry has real cost implications. We reconcile at each stage rather than moving everything at once and hoping balances tie out.
Our ERP consulting team handles planning, and our application development group rebuilds the customizations and integrations that come with you — both staffed by people who have worked on Microsoft technologies since 1991.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have a question about Microsoft Dynamics NAV? We’re happy to talk it through.
Is Microsoft Dynamics NAV still supported?
No version remains in mainstream support. NAV 2018, the final release, has extended support until January 11, 2028. NAV 2016 reached end of life in April 2026; NAV 2017 extended support ends January 2027.
Is Business Central the same as Dynamics NAV?
Related, but not the same. Business Central launched in 2018 on the NAV codebase, so core functionality and data structures are familiar. It is a cloud platform with automatic updates and per-seat licensing, where NAV was an on-premises solution requiring manual upgrades.
Can we keep running Dynamics NAV?
The software keeps functioning after support ends. What you lose is updates, security patches, and vendor support, creating compliance and security exposure over time.
What happens to our NAV customizations?
They get evaluated individually. Some need rebuilding, some were workarounds for NAV limits a modern system handles natively, and some turn out unused.
Do you take on new Dynamics NAV support clients?
Yes, including environments we did not implement. NAV was the right answer for companies outgrowing basic accounting software, and plenty of those systems still run well.
Talk With Us About Your Dynamics NAV Environment
Whether you need better support for the system you have, want to understand your options, or are ready to plan, we can help. Contact Integrated Systems Solutions to start the conversation.