Fangs for the memories NAV/Business Central Windows Client
Updated: Aug 10, 2021
What is the NAV & Business Central Windows Client?
The Microsoft Dynamics NAV & Business Central Windows client was/is an intuitive and versatile Windows application that developers and partners can customize to support the job functions of a full range of work roles in an organization. The main feature of the windows client in the past was that it was the main client for data entry and once it was installed it was easily accessible by creating a shortcut on your desktop.
The windows client was highly customizable to support different job functions based on your role center. You could customize the ribbon, page and navigation pane as you saw fit. One feature that was very popular was the departments menu. In here you could navigate to different modules and functions very easily. Another feature that was well liked was the ability to show views as charts.
Has Microsoft Dynamics NAV been discontinued? No, Microsoft Dynamics NAV has been rebranded into Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Business Central is a comprehensive management solution that allows you to streamline your processes, make smarter decisions, and accelerate growth.
Why is the NAV & Business Central Windows Client being discontinued?
According to Microsoft, “Business Central continues to evolve the modern client experiences where users work with Business Central in the browser, Windows 10 desktop app, or mobile apps on Android and iOS. With this release of Business Central on-premises, the legacy Dynamics NAV Windows client is no longer available for deployment. Instead, users can switch to the modern experience in the browser, the Android/iOS mobile apps, or the Windows 10 desktop app (available through the respective stores). For more information, see https://aka.ms/BusinessCentralApp.
What does this mean and what’s the value? I think it means that moving forward Microsoft would like to have more control over the updates released for Business Central. Sort of along the same lines that Microsoft is able to control your Windows 10 updates. If most people are current and on the same version of Business Central this ultimately cuts down compatibility support issues.
The business value according to Microsoft is, “Businesses and users want to be comfortable that the tools they use are fit for new hardware, operating systems, and changing environments. They can access Business Central through a range of modern clients, so they can be sure that only the newest, most advanced, and up-to-date tools are being used.” In other words, the entire world is moving to web based, single and multi-tenant software, and you don’t want to be the exception.
So, with the inevitability of the Business Central and NAV Windows Clients being discontinued, and with this being the month of October, we bid you farewell and Fangs for the Memories!
