The cost of implementing Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 goes beyond licensing the ERP software. You may find that the system requirements for Dynamics GP 2013 require you to make infrastructure investments too in order to be compatible. If you have aging hardware or other software infrastructure that is reaching its end of life, it may be a good time to upgrade those systems anyway. But at least it is a cost you need to factor into your budget.
You can get a budget cost estimate of Dynamics GP licenses, annual maintenance and implementation services by requesting a free automated Quick Quote at . But this does not address the hardware. You still need to look at the server, the operating systems and the workstations. Of course, you can always eliminate all of these hardware/infrastructure costs by deploying Dynamics GP in the cloud.
Here is a quick Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 vs Dynamics GP 2013 system requirements comparison chart:
| GP 2010 | GP 2013 | |
| Windows XP |  |
 |
| Windows Vista | |
|
| Windows 7 | |
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| Windows 8 | |
|
| Windows Server 2003 | |
|
| Windows Small Business Server 2003 | |
|
| Windows Server 2008 | |
|
| Windows Small Business Server 2008 | |
|
| Windows Server 2012 | |
|
| Office 2003 | |
|
| Office 2007 | |
|
| Office 2010 | |
|
| SQL Server 2005 | |
|
| SQL Server 2008 | |
|
| SQL Server 2012 | |
|
As you will see from this chart, Windows Server 2003 is no longer supported in Dynamics GP 2013. If you have already upgraded to Windows Server 2008, you will be fine, although upgrading to Windows Server 2012 is also an option. If you plan to use virtualization, you will also need to consider the components you want to virtualize. You may decide only to virtualize your SQL Server for example.
Beyond server requirements, client systems may need upgrades as well. The long-time client favorite, Windows XP, has reached its end of life and is no longer supported. Customers running Windows 7 are fine, while Windows 8 is also a current choice. Workstations should also now have at least 2GB of RAM. If you decide to allow web access with the new GP web client, you will need to make sure the clients have Internet Explorer 8 or 9, along with the Silverlight plugin and Office 2007 or better.
Here are a few helpful resources:
The upgrade process is pretty straightforward once you have a firm grasp of which components of your infrastructure need upgrading. CAL Business Solutions can help you with the logistics. While we don’t sell the infrastructure licenses ourselves, we can refer you to a local IT services expert or work with your internal team or vendor.
This topic will be discussed at our upcoming “Dynamics GP 2013 Launch Event” in Farmington, Connecticut (CT) on May 10, 2013 in the session “Infrastructure Requirements/Q&A – Do You Have What it Takes to Upgrade to Dynamics GP 2013?”
By CAL Business Solutions,
