Upgrade Dynamics NAV to Business Central

Upgrading from Dynamics NAV to Business Central

When Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central was fully launched in October, we explained that this was the next generation for Microsoft Dynamics NAV. As with most of the products from Microsoft, there is a transition in licensing to a named user basis, which means that people who own concurrent licenses will have to transition their licenses as they upgrade. When the Business Central was launched in October, there was a lot of discussion about the transition policy. 

At the time, Microsoft had announced that customers upgrading from perpetual licenses would get 2 full named users for every full concurrent user. However, the limited users that were transitioning to team members would only get a 1 to 1 transition. 

Upgrading from Dynamics NAV to Business Central

A voice within Microsoft

As Microsoft partners, our job is to understand the market, and this sometimes means that we have a better understanding of the end user requirement than Microsoft. Following the above release, some of our team attended the Directions EMEA event, where partners gather to learn about and discuss the latest releases in Dynamics NAV and this year the release of Business Central. 

At the licensing seminar, Catherine Ross, who specialises in knowing how businesses operate with nearly 20 years in the industry, stood up in front of several hundred partners to let Microsoft know the issues with a 1-to-1 transition. Her account was a met with a round of applause, and the licensing experts from Microsoft met with Catherine following the session. 

The new License Transition

This month saw a new release of the Dynamics NAV to Business Central license transition guide, with updates to how limited users will translate to two Team Member user licenses. 

From License Model Edition User/Functionality BC Functionality Mapping PLP Allocated to
Perpetual  with Extended Pack Starter Pack 3 Premium User + 3 Premium User - Upgrade Premium User
Per Full Concurrent CAL or Full Concurrent CAL - Upgrade 1 Premium User + 1 Premium User - Upgrade Premium User
Per Full Concurrent CAL - Limited Upgrade 1 Premium User Premium User
Extended Pack Included in Premium User Premium User
no Extended Pack Starter Pack 3 Essentials User + 3 Essential User - Upgrade Essentials Users
Per Full Concurrent CAL 1 Essentials User + 1 Essential User - Upgrade Essentials Users
Per Full Concurrent CAL - Limited Upgrade 1 Essentials User Essentials Users
Any Per Limited Concurrent CAL 1 Team Member + 1 Team Member - Upgrade Team Member
Per Limited Concurrent CAL – Limited Upgrade 1 Team Member Team Member

 

To see the full details of the upgrade paths for Microsoft Dynamics NAV licenses to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central licenses, please see the full upgrade policy document. 

Upgrade Policy


How Business Central Streamlines Heavy Machinery Assemblies

23 March 2026

Managing heavy machinery assemblies requires precise coordination across multiple production stages, material tracking and quality control processes. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central provides an integrated platform that connects production planning, inventory management and real-time monitoring to streamline your heavy machinery assembly operations.

10 Machine Building Production Bottlenecks Affecting Your Shop Floor

09 March 2026

When your shop floor production slows, costs rise or quality issues emerge, the underlying causes may not always be obvious. Here, we'll cover the common – and uncommon – issues on your shop floor affecting productivity and how you can address them to keep up with your manufacturing demands.

Scroll to top