Legacy System Replacement

Legacy system migration and modernisation: move off unsupported systems before they become a crisis

20+ years connecting business systems
Works with the accounting, job and CRM systems you already use
Fixed quote after a free chat

Talk it through with us, freeA no-obligation chat about your systems. Honest answer, even if we're not the right fit.

Book a free chat 1300 470 091

Time to Move?

Planned migrations cost far less than emergency ones. If any of these sound familiar, it is time to start planning.

⚠️

Your vendor has announced end-of-life

The vendor has stopped releasing updates and security fixes, so the risk grows every month you stay on it.

🤷

Nobody knows how it works anymore

The person who built or set up the system has left, there’s little or no documentation, and when something breaks nobody knows how to fix it.

🔒

Security is becoming a worry

Software that no longer gets security fixes stays open to new threats, and insurers are increasingly asking whether you run unsupported software.

💰

It costs more to maintain than replace

You’re spending real money keeping an old system running: custom patches, workarounds and specialist contractors. A planned migration can cost less than carrying on.

Microsoft End-of-Support Dates

Several systems Australian businesses run on have dates set by Microsoft. Some have already passed.

Product	What ends	Date
Dynamics NAV 2016	Support	Ended 14 April 2026
Dynamics GP 2016 (and 2016 R2)	Extended support	Ended 14 July 2026
SQL Server 2016	Extended support	Ended 14 July 2026
Access LTSC 2021 and Office LTSC 2021	Support	Ended 13 October 2026
SQL Server 2017	Extended support	13 October 2027
Dynamics GP 2018 (and 2018 R2)	Extended support	January 2028
Dynamics NAV 2018	Extended support	January 2028
Dynamics GP (all current versions)	Product enhancements, tax updates and technical support	31 December 2029 (security updates, if needed, until 30 April 2031)

Sources: Microsoft Learn, products ending support in 2026, Dynamics GP lifecycle, Dynamics NAV 2018 and SQL Server 2017. Microsoft lists dates in US time. GP 2018 sites that install current GP tax releases or updates move onto Microsoft's newer support policy, where the 2029 date applies. Check the page for your exact version.

What the dates mean. The software doesn't stop working on the day. What stops is Microsoft's security fixes and, for Dynamics GP, the tax and regulatory updates. Every month after that, the risk grows and fewer people can support it. Microsoft is steering Dynamics GP customers towards Dynamics 365 Business Central, but you can choose whichever system fits your business best.

Old SQL Server versions. Upgrading the database server itself is a job for your IT provider. Where we come in is the business system that sits on it: an in-house job or stock system, a database with an Access front end, or software whose vendor has moved on. If it can't simply be moved to a newer server, it needs replacing or rebuilding, with its data and history intact. See also what Access 2021 end of support means for your business database.

When the Vendor Is Pushing You to the Cloud

Not every deadline has a date. Some vendors of older on-premise ERP, job and accounting systems are encouraging customers to move to their cloud versions or newer products, without announcing an end date for the old one. That can leave you on a version that still works, but gets fewer updates, costs more to support each year, and is harder to connect to anything new.

No date doesn't mean no decision. The sensible questions are the same either way: what your support agreement actually covers, whether your connections and reports will keep working, and whether the vendor's cloud version fits how you work, or whether another system would fit better.

If you're weighing up moving with your vendor against replacing the system, our software selection help compares the options against how your business actually runs.

The Work Around the Move

Your new system's vendor or implementation partner sets up the software. The data, history, reports and connections around it often fall outside their scope. That's the part we look after.

Data clean-up first

Duplicate customers, suppliers and items, retired codes and half-finished records are fixed before they move, not after. Data cleansing services →

History and archive

We agree with you and your accountant how much history comes across, and keep the rest in a read-only archive your team can still search. Data migration services →

Reports and spreadsheets

The reports, exports and spreadsheets built on the old system over the years are listed and rebuilt, so month-end doesn’t break the week after go-live.

Connections to other systems

The links to your job, stock, payroll, CRM or online store are rebuilt and tested, so nothing goes back to being typed in by hand. Systems integration →

Before You Move: A Checklist

Which version you are on, and the date its support ends
Everything that connects to it: other systems, imports, exports and scheduled jobs
The reports and spreadsheets people rely on that pull data from it
Customisations and business rules hidden in the setup, forms and reports
How clean the customer, supplier, item and job lists are
How much history the business actually needs in the new system
Who on your side checks trial runs and signs off the move
A cutover date clear of month-end, end of financial year and your busy season

Not sure what depends on the old system? The $5,000 Process & Systems Audit maps your processes and systems and shows what is connected to what, before you commit to a move.

How We Help

We handle the whole process, from working out what you have to getting you onto something better.

Migration Assessment

We look at your end-of-life system and everything that depends on it, then tell you plainly what needs to happen and how long it will take.

Replacement Selection

We help you choose the right replacement, whether that’s an online product, another vendor’s system or software built for you.

Data Migration

We move your data carefully and check it at every step, so nothing is left behind or corrupted.

Cutover and Support

We plan the switch-over to keep disruption to a minimum, train your team on the new system, and stay close for the first few months.

Running on Borrowed Time?

Tell us about your end-of-life system. We'll give you an honest assessment of how urgent the situation is and what your options look like.

Talk to Us

Part of our guide: Choosing Business Software