On January 1, 2023, Microsoft launched the Bridge to the Cloud 2 promotion to support Dynamics Price List (DPL) customers moving from Dynamics on-premises to Dynamics 365 online.
If you’re an existing Dynamics on-premises customer (prior to September 1, 2022) and have an active Enhancement Plan (EP), you can obtain discounted cloud licenses through the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program.
Here are the details of the promotion and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs).
Eligibility
This promotion applies to any legacy Dynamics on-premises customers (Dynamics GP, NAV, SL, AX and CRM) who have been a customer prior to September 1, 2022. You can migrate to a functionally similar cloud product at a 40% discount on the standard commercial list price (i.e., Dynamics GP/NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central, Dynamics CRM to Dynamics 365 for Sales and Marketing).
The signup period runs from January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2024, and the promotion lasts for a fixed three-year term from the time of enrollment and is non-renewable. After the promotion ends, standard pricing will apply.
Note: Although payment terms may be monthly, annual or something else, all online subscriptions eligible for this promotion have a fixed 3-year (non-cancellable) term.
You must maintain a CSP value greater than or equal to your current EP value for the entire three-year term. If you cancel or drop below the minimum, you must pay the EP amount +3% lapsed fees for the duration of the end of the last EP to the cancellation date.
This promotion is for customers committed to migrating to the cloud. If you’re returning to or remaining on on-premises licenses after the promotional period and want EP benefits, you’re subject to normal backpay and penalty policies.
Question: Can customers with a lapsed EP enroll in this promotion?
Answer: As an exception, customers whose EP lapsed for 30 days or less may enroll. Customers enrolling within 30 days of their EP expiring will not face lapsed fees. Once the customer provides proof that the minimum licensing requirement (and other eligibility requirements) have been met, the customer can renew at zero cost.
Customers who have lapsed for more than 30 days will need to pay fees for the lapsed period to enroll. Their renewal cost for the forthcoming year will be waived, provided they have met the minimum online licensing requirement (and other eligibility requirements).
Question: Can customers on the CSP-EP renewal or Bridge to the Cloud promotion transfer to this promotion?
Answer: No, transfer from a prior promotion to Bridge to the Cloud 2 is not available.
Question: Can this promotion be combined with other transition offers or promotions?
Answer: No, this promotion cannot be combined with any other discounted offer or promotion. Customers who have licensed “From SA” or any other cloud migration offer cannot enroll in this promotion. Only customers active on EP per the policy are eligible to use the Bridge to the Cloud 2 promotion.
Question: Can customers who acquired Dynamics NAV prior to September 1, 2022, and transitioned to Dynamics Business Central on-premises after September 1, 2022, participate?
Answer: Yes, provided the original Dynamics on-premises product was purchased prior to September 1, 2022, you may participate. For example, if you purchased Dynamics NAV in 2009 and then transitioned that system to Dynamics 365 Business Central in 2023, you could participate in this promotion.
Dual Access Rights
Dual access rights are included for the on-premises and Microsoft 365 systems. During the promotional term, you may continue to use, expand and upgrade your legacy on-premises system while completing the migration without purchasing additional EP. Other EP benefits, like affiliate license transfer, remain available during this period. If you’re on Dynamics CRM or AX, you can add users and expand the current system.
Note: Expanding the number of on-premises users requires the purchase of additional on-premises licenses.
Question: Customers in this promotion are entitled to dual access rights. What does this mean?
Answer: The dual access rights benefit of this promotion allows you to continue using your existing on-premises license purchased via the DPL while simultaneously deploying Dynamics 365 Business Central online. If you require additional users on your on-premises license throughout the promotion’s term, you’ll need to license these users via the DPL.
Additional users licensed on CSP New Commerce Experience (NCE) through the promotion do not provide dual access rights benefits. For example, if you have a Business Central v16 on-premises license with 50 Premium users and then license 100 Premium v20 SLs via the Bridge to the Cloud 2 promotion, you’re not entitled to downgrade the v20 cloud licenses or add users to their v16 on-premises version. You can access 100 Premium users via your cloud deployment.
Any $0 users issued via a Web Direct promotional code do not provide dual access rights benefits. Users provided through a Web Direct promotional code can only be deployed in the cloud.
Dual Use Rights
For customers migrating to Dynamics 365 Business Central, dual use rights apply to Dynamics 365 Business Central licenses purchased through this promotion (to both the on-premises system and 365 system for Business Central migrations).
Please note that dual use rights are only provided for on-premises use of the current online versions (not prior versions) and (1) do not include support or EP benefits, (2) do not enable adding users to an existing on-premises system, (3) may require the purchase of ancillary products (i.e., SQL) and (4) do not apply to on-premises use of “$0” online user licenses.
On-premises users licensed via dual use rights cannot be added to or combined with users licensed under a DPL on-premises license (i.e., the existing on-premises system). Operating an on-premises implementation long-term through dual use rights is not intended or recommended.
Question: What's the difference between dual use rights and dual access rights?
Answer:
- Dual access rights: Relates to continued use of a previously purchased on-premises version while migrating, but not beyond the promotion’s term.
- Dual use rights: Relates to the use of a current version of an on-premises product (but not most prior versions) while subscribing to eligible cloud products.
Question: Can I purchase cloud licenses via the promotion and utilize dual use rights to expand my on-premises deployments?
Answer: No. Dual use rights licenses cannot be combined with an existing on-premises installation.
Pricing and Licensing
Since GP is concurrent (shared, group license) and Business Central is named users (single, individualized license), if your new Business Central user license amount is greater than twice your EP, you can request $0 users to get to the same number of users you had in GP. You must sign up before renewing your EP. There’s no credit for existing EP and the EP date does not change.
Question: Can I license additional users in NCE?
Answer: Additional users licensed via the Bridge to the Cloud 2 promotional stock keeping units (SKUs) do not increase the number of users available on the existing on-premises licenses.
Question: Where do I order additional users or functionality for my on-premises solution?
Answer: Additional on-premises users/functionality should be purchased in DPL for customers using legacy on-premises versions. The license price plus the pro-rated EP for those licenses will be charged through the DPL. At your next EP anniversary, the online NCE subscription value will need to be increased to account for the increased EP value.
Question: Where do I purchase additional entitlements/objects such as tables, pages, etc.?
Answer: Additional entitlements must be purchased via the DPL for on-premises implementations.
Question: Can I reduce the user count on my NCE Subscription?
Answer: NCE does not permit mid-term reduction of user counts or subscription cancellation (i.e., without fees continuing for the balance of the term). Early cancellation would void eligibility for this promotion and its no-charge EP (i.e., backpay and penalty fees would apply at the end of the previously paid EP period to re-establish the on-premises EP).
Question: If I’m a customer migrating to Dynamics 365 Business Central through this promotion, how will Microsoft determine the number of eligible $0 users to be made available?
Answer: If and after a customer’s annualized NCE promotional license cost (after applying the 40% promotional discount but before the partner margin discount) exceeds twice its annual EP cost (before the partner margin discount) for equivalent usage, the customer may request extra licenses at no additional cost for use during the promotional period with a value (computed using the promotional price) up to, but not exceeding, twice the EP cost.
This provision applies only to customers migrating from a Dynamics concurrent user license product (or who previously transitioned from a Dynamics concurrent user license product) to Dynamics 365 Business Central online. The number of applicable $0 user licenses will be determined by Microsoft.
Need Help?
We’re here to assist you with taking advantage of the Bridge to the Cloud 2 promotion. If you have questions or need help, please contact us online or give us a call at 410.685.5512.
