As October 2020 rapidly approaches, we look forward to the next wave of features Microsoft will be releasing for Business Central. This is the place to top up on the planned releases Microsoft will be delivering as of October - click through on any of the features to read more about what they'll do!
This blog lists features that are planned to release from October 2020 through March 2021. Because there are features listed that may not have been released yet, certain items may not be released as scheduled due to unforeseen circumstances on Microsoft's behalf.
- For our blog on the releases we enjoyed in April 2020, see the 2020 release wave 1 release plan.
In the 'General availability' column, the feature will be delivered within the month listed. The delivery date can be any day within that month. Released features show the full date, including the day of release.
Description of Enabled for column values:
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End users, automatically: These features include changes to the user experience for end users and are enabled automatically.
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Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically: These features are meant to be used by administrators, makers, or business analysts and are enabled automatically.
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End users by admins, makers, or analysts: These features must be enabled or configured by the administrators, makers, or business analysts to be available for their end users.
Administration
The 2020 release wave 2 delivers a set of features that are designed to simplify and improve the way partners administer tenants, and the way administrators carry out administration tasks for licensing and permissions.
| Feature | Enabled for | Public preview | General availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deprecation of the legacy Dynamics NAV Help Server component | End users, automatically | - | Oct 2020 |
| Improved overview and management of the available database and file capacity | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | - | Oct 2020 |
| Service-to-service authentication for Automation APIs | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | - | Oct 2020 |
| Support for an unlimited number of production and sandbox environments | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | - | Oct 2020 |
| Manage irreversible features | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | Jun 10, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Database access intent changed to read-only for frequently used reports | End users, automatically | Aug 3, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
Application
With Business Central 2020 release wave 2, Microsoft deliver enhancements that were suggested through the Business Central ideas website.
| Feature | Enabled for | Public preview | General availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Central Company Hub extension | End users by admins, makers, or analysts | - | Oct 2020 |
| VAT group reporting | End users by admins, makers, or analysts | - | Oct 2020 |
| Default unit cost for non-inventory items | End users, automatically |
May 1, 2020 |
Oct 2020 |
| Track packages from more types of sales documents | End users, automatically | May 1, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Consolidation file format support for Dynamics 365 Finance | End users, automatically | Aug 1, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Auto-resolve Common Data Service conflicts | End users, automatically | Aug 3, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Check financial journals in background | End users by admins, makers, or analysts | Aug 3, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Enhanced email capabilities | End users by admins, makers, or analysts | Aug 3, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Improved control over how and when you post WIP entries for jobs to the general ledger | End users, automatically | Aug 3, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Notify users of high-risk changes in selected setup fields | End users by admins, makers, or analysts | Aug 3, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Write longer item references | End users by admins, makers, or analysts | Aug 3, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Use recurring journals to allocate balances by dimension values | End users, automatically | Aug 4, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Use the Copy Journal function on Posted General Journals and control date for reversing entries in Recurring General Journals | End users, automatically | Aug 4, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Use Word document layouts to customise outgoing customer documents | End users, automatically | Aug 4, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Easier to choose the right Role Centre | End users, automatically | Aug 5, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Use contact Mobile Phone Number and Email consistently across application | End users, automatically | Sep 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Use conversion templates to convert contacts to vendors and employees | End users by admins, makers, or analysts | Sep 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Bank reconciliation improvements | End users, automatically | Dec 2020 | Feb 2021 |
Better with Microsoft 365
In 2020 release wave 2, Microsoft enable better cross-app productivity by using Teams as a way to interact in business processes.
| Feature | Enabled for | Public preview | General availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Central in Microsoft Teams | End users by admins, makers, or analysts | Oct 2020 | Dec 2020 |
Country and regional
Global availability of Dynamics 365 Business Central has been expanding regularly with every release wave. Here, Microsoft describe the plans for expansion going forward and new regulatory features and enhancements.
| Feature | Enabled for | Public preview | General availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expanded country and regional availability | End users by admins, makers, or analysts | - | Oct 2020 |
Microsoft Power Platform
This area covers Microsoft's investments in the integration with Microsoft Power Platform. In this release Microsoft are investing in enabling virtual entities.
| Feature | Enabled for | Public preview | General availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Integrate Business Central and Common Data Service with fewer synchronisation conflicts | End users, automatically | Aug 3, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Support for latest Microsoft Dynamics 365 SDK | End users, automatically | Aug 3, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Common Data Service virtual entities | End users by admins, makers, or analysts | Oct 2020 | Dec 2020 |
Migrations to Business Central online
Features for migration from Dynamics on-premises products to Business Central online.
| Feature | Enabled for | Public preview | General availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Continued enhancements for migrating from Dynamics GP to Business Central | End users by admins, makers, or analysts | Oct 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Historical data migration from Dynamics GP to Azure Data Lake | End users by admins, makers, or analysts | Oct 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Migrate from Business Central 14.x on-premises to Business Central 16.x online | End users by admins, makers, or analysts | Oct 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Migrate from Business Central 15.x on-premises to Business Central 16.x online | End users by admins, makers, or analysts | Oct 2020 | Oct 2020 |
Modern clients
In 2020 release wave 2, Microsoft shift their focus toward maturing the reliability and usability of current productivity features, including more user options for printing, and ensuring clients are accessible to a diverse set of users.
| Feature | Enabled for | Public preview | General availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Updates to page styling | End users, automatically | Jul 28, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Changes to the action bar in dialog boxes | End users by admins, makers, or analysts | Jul 31, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Improved accessibility for low-vision users | End users, automatically | Jul 31, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Page Inspector supports temporary tables | End users, automatically | Jul 31, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Pages with FactBoxes are more responsive | End users, automatically | Jul 31, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Report request page can open multiple previews | End users, automatically | Aug 4, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Update the navigation experience terminology to improve usability | End users, automatically | Aug 4, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Role Centres open faster | End users, automatically | Aug 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Basic auth settings deprecated for Contact Sync and Outlook Add-in | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | Aug 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Access multiple production or sandbox environments from the mobile apps | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | Oct 2020 | Nov 2020 |
Modern development tools
As Microsoft have made the move entirely to Visual Studio Code, they continue to invest in areas that enhance productivity for developers.
| Feature | Enabled for | Public preview | General availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Code documentation comments | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | Aug 1, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Code region compiler directive | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | Aug 1, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Delete extension data | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | Aug 1, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Suppress AL warnings | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | Aug 1, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
| Performance Regression and Application Benchmark tools | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | Aug 3, 2020 | Oct 2020 |
Seamless service
No matter the industry type of a small or medium-sized business (SMB), business users expect a dependable service and platform on which to run their business.
For future release plans and Business Central information, make sure to watch this space and feel free to contact us here with any questions you may have.
Interested in learning more about the journey of Dynamics 365 Business Central, including what came before it and the latest updates? Get caught up by reading our Timeline.
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