Bridge to the Cloud 2 — Microsoft’s offer for Dynamics, explained

You need to act by 1 February, 2023 to take advantage of Microsoft’s Bridge to the Cloud 2 migration promotion for the Dynamics 365 product range.

The offer ends on 30 June, 2023 so the clock is ticking…

Law 365 is here to help.

What’s Microsoft’s Bridge to the Cloud 2 offer?

On January 1, 2023, Microsoft will launch the Bridge to the Cloud 2 (BttC2) promotion to support Dynamics Price List (DPL) customers moving from Dynamics on-premises to Dynamics 365 online.

This promotion is for Dynamics on-premises customers who have an active Enhancement Plan (EP) to obtain discounted cloud licenses through the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program.

It allows you to purchase licenses for Dynamics 365 Business Central from a Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP).

Do I qualify for Microsoft’s Bridge to the Cloud promotion?

This promotion is for Dynamics on-premises customers who have an active Enhancement Plan (EP)

• You need to have an active Enhancement Plan subscription
• You must apply for the offer prior to your renewal date.

Benefits of Microsoft’s Bridge to the Cloud Promotion

• Instead of paying for your Enhancement Plan in one lump sum, you can make monthly payments.
• If you have a high ratio of concurrent users, Microsoft will match up to 1-4 concurrent to named users for free
• You can carry on using your current on-premises application while you transition to your Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Cloud solution. 
• During the promotion period, Bridge to the Cloud clients will have dual access rights to Business Central and the solution they currently have. This means you can test the new solution while maintaining normal operations within your current ERP solution. You still get all the benefits of the Enhancement Plan and you’ll have licenses for Dynamics 365 Business Central in the cloud when you are ready to migrate.

What do you have to do?

You need to license Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central cloud users at the same total annual price or greater as your annual Enhancement Plan.

The Bridge to the Cloud promotion requires a three-year subscription which will give you concurrent use of your on-premises Dynamics software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.

Why you need Law 365 to review your contracts ASAP

What may not be obvious at first is that the promotion will require an update to all your existing contracts.

The amount of work isn’t overwhelming, but the consequence of not getting your contracts updated could be.

There are 3 main areas of concern:

1. You’ll need to ensure the term (we recommend 3 years) is clearly defined in your contracts
2. You’ll want to lock in your customers so they can’t come out early (unless they pay for the whole term)
3. You’ll want to capture your rights as the Partner of Record.

Is this promotion right for you?

Have you been waiting for an opportunity like this to migrate your Dynamics on-premises system a cloud solution? If you’re ready to get started give us a call or contact us using the form below.

Further reading

• Policy and FAQ from Microsoft 
• All you need to know about Microsoft’s Bridge to the Cloud Promotion - Dynamics 365 Business Central Community