Great Plains Historical Timeline
A little while ago I was sent a document which has the release dates for every release of Great Plains/Microsoft Dynamics GP from version 1.0 to the current version GP 2013 R2 (v12.0).
I thought it would be a fun exercise to post a summary of this timeline so you can get an idea of the wealth of history behind the product.
|
Product Released |
Release Date |
| Dynamics Release 1.0 | February 1993 |
| Dynamics Release 2.0 & Dynamics C/S+ Release 2.0 | 31 May 1994 |
| Dynamics Release 2.04 & Dynamics C/S+ Release 2.04 | February 1995 |
| Dynamics Release 2.11 & Dynamics C/S+ Release 2.11 | 18 Septemer 1995 |
| Dynamics Release 2.20 & Dynamics C/S+ Release 2.20 | 04 December 1995 |
| Dynamics Release 3.0 & Dynamics C/S+ Release 3.0 | 09 May 1996 |
| Dynamics C/S+ for SQL Release 3.15 | November 1996 |
| Dynamics C/S+ for SQL Release 3.17 | 26 March 1997 |
| Dynamics C/S+ ISAM Release 3.20 | 19 May 1997 |
| Dynamics (LAN) Release 4.0 | August 1997 |
| Dynamics (SQL) Release 4.0 | 17 October 1997 |
| Dynamics Release 5.0 & Dynamics C/S+ Release 5.0 | 09 September 1998 |
| Dynamics Release 5.1 & Dynamics C/S+ Release 5.1 | 12 January 1999 |
| Dynamics Release 5.5 & eEnterprise Release 5.5 | 18 August 1999 |
| Dynamics Release 5.51 | October 1999 |
| Dynamics Release 6.0 & eEnterprise Release 6.0 | 24 July 2000 |
| Dynamics Release 7.0 & eEnterprise Release 7.0 | 25 June 2002 |
| Microsoft Business Solutions - Great Plains Release 7.5 | 8 April 2003 |
| Microsoft Business Solutions - Great Plains Release 8.0 | 2 June 2004 |
| Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0 | 17 November 2005 |
| Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 | 04 May 2007 |
| Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 (11.0) | 01 May 2010 |
| Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 R2 (11.0 SP2) | 01 May 2011 |
| Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 (12.0) | 19 December 2012 |
| Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 R2 (12.0) | 28 May 2014 |
Make sure you look at the GP Logos through the years post if you have not seen it already.
Please post a comment to let me know what version you first worked with and when.
David
20-Apr-2010: Updated for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010.
05-Jul-2012: Updated for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 R2.
14-Dec-2012: Updated for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013.
14-Aug-2014: Updated for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 R2.
Comments
Anonymous
March 12, 2009
Hi David, Its really nice to know the release dates of all the versions of GP. I started my career with GP 7.5 from April 2006.Anonymous
March 14, 2009
Looking at David Musgrave's timeline of GP releases , I'm reminded that I started working withAnonymous
March 17, 2009
Taught my first Dexterity class in Fall of 1992 prior to 1.0 release of Dynamics. I still have a chance to catch up with a few folks in those first classes, from time to time.Anonymous
March 17, 2009
If we are going to show how old we are.... I looked at Dynamics 1.0 with my partner, but decided at the time not to get involved (my partner had just had a number of bad experiences with other accounting software and did not want a repeat performance). We saw potential and decided to wait for the next version. When Dynamics 2.0 came out we decided that this was a product worth getting involved with and signed up as a partner. For many years, Sequel Technology was the exclusive partner for Western Australia. It was in 1994 when I flew from Perth to Melbourne for the first Dexterity class to be run outside of Fargo. It was also Kevin Kidder's first international trip. This is when I started working with Dexterity 2.04. DavidAnonymous
March 17, 2009
I started working with Dynamics in 2000 although I still support clients on 5.5. Microsoft had just bought out Great Plains I believe and 6.0 had just been released. Went to convergence in....2002 and learned about Lewis and Clark. I was prepped before I went to the keynote to expect nothing about Dynamics, accounting, Great Plains etc. so that helped. I kind of miss those type of keynotes now.Anonymous
March 27, 2009
I go back to 1993. I always think of version 1.0 as a 'good idea'. My first install was for a real estate investor who had 32 partnerships. It was back then that I learned all about macros. That client is still using GP and now has 164 databases. David, you and I met at Tech Conference just after you left Sequel Technology. You introduced me to Mark Rockwell who had just gone out on his own too. Gracious, has it really been that long?Anonymous
May 27, 2009
Many people who have not been working with Microsoft Dynamics GP since the early non-SQL versions ofAnonymous
May 29, 2009
Hi David Wasn't 3.15 a Dynamics rather than Dynamics C/S+ for SQL release? And wasn't there a 3.10 release for multicurrency? MattAnonymous
June 01, 2009
Hi Matt There was a controlled release of 3.10 to customers and partners for Purchase Order Processing (POP). As it was not a general release I did not add it to the timeline. 3.15 was definately a SQL release. This was the first SQL release that had performance issues and so was followed fairly quickly with 3.17. See the post below for more info: http://blogs.msdn.com/developingfordynamicsgp/archive/2008/10/06/what-do-the-zdp-auto-generated-stored-procedures-do.aspx DavidAnonymous
May 07, 2013
Looks like the date for version 2013 should be December 2012 not December 2013.Anonymous
May 07, 2013
Good catch Rob. fixed now.Anonymous
September 26, 2013
David - Thank you so much for putting this together. From the timeline, it looks like I started working with this around December 1995. Can we really be closing in on 20 years???Anonymous
September 26, 2013
Hi Jo Ann Long time no speak. Hope you are doing well. Yes we are getting to be old farts now. DavidAnonymous
March 05, 2014
Should anyone (especially if they are on Dynamics GP 2010) still be calling this "Great Plains" ? Any advice to someone who's interested in getting his client to stop using the phrase "Great Plains"? Thanks, JayAnonymous
March 10, 2014
Hi Jay I know you know GP stands for Great Plains. In some ways it is nice to remember the heritage. If you must suggest that the initials "GP" is quicker and easier to say. Then maybe go to "Dyn GP"... you could always try "MSDGP". I really would not stress too much. We all know that we are talking about the same thing. David PS: At least they are not removing the letter L.... that one annoys me.Anonymous
April 22, 2015
is there a site out there that already has the end of support dates for these various versions? Would it be something to easily add to this web page (assuming the dates are easily known that is). thanks!Anonymous
April 28, 2015
Hi Ian The Microsoft Product Lifecycle pages have all the information. Here is the link to the Index, find Microsoft Dynamics GP under D. support.microsoft.com/.../lifeselectindex David http://www.winthropdc.com/BlogAnonymous
June 02, 2015
Wow. This brings back memories. :) I started when GP 8 was on the way out.Anonymous
February 23, 2017
This timeline is missing the 1st decade of the heritage product known as Great Plains Software. I first began supporting the Hard Disk Accounting series from Great Plains Software in 1983 on the Apple ///. It was the one and only multiuser product in accounting software at the time. We ran multiple workstations on a Corvus network.I have supported every version since that time, including one client who is STILL using Great Plains Software ver 9.5 on a Windows 98 network of 8 workstations.Can anyone top 34 years of continuous support to the same strain of software? And yes I'm getting ready to retire and turn the company over to my children.- Anonymous
February 23, 2017
Hi LarryMy Apple //e only had floppy drives. Then again I was more interested in games at that time than accounting. That said, I did create my first business software on that machine and get paid for it.Sadly, I can't update the information on this blog post as I am no long an MS employee, but I might create an updated version on my new blog.DavidPS: You might beat Leslie Vail as an old timer of the GP world. Please come to GPUG Summit for a last Hoorah before you retire, There are lots of people who would love to meet you.
- Anonymous