Let's start with a quick summary:
The independent software vendor (ISV) ecosystem is important for customers who want vertical or horizontal solutions for Dynamics 365 Business Central. Microsoft will accelerate this ISV ecosystem to begin moving new and existing customers to Dynamics 365 Business Central online. To achieve that goal, the following development pillars define the 2019 release wave 2 update:
- Service fundamentals: Laser focus on performance, reliability, supportability, and security is essential to ensure that service quality remains ahead of the growth in service usage. Accessibility, already in a strong position, must be preserved.
- Modern client: With the 2019 release wave 2, users access Dynamics 365 Business Central in the browser, Windows 10 desktop app, mobile apps on Android and iOS, or in Outlook. Microsoft accelerate their investment in speed and productivity features for the modern browser experience, achieving a major milestone in its transformation into a world-class desktop experience for new and expert users alike. The 2019 release wave 2 is the first version that does not include the Dynamics NAV Client connected to Dynamics 365 Business Central (also known as the Windows client). The modern clients now support so many productivity features that the Windows client is discontinued for Dynamics 365 Business Central going forward. The legacy Dynamics NAV client remains supported in the April '19 update and earlier versions in alignment with the support lifecycle.
- Modern developer tools: The 2019 release wave 2 is the first version that does not include the classic development environment (also known as C/SIDE). The modern developer experience based on Visual Studio Code with Azure DevOps, and an AL language that supports an extension-based approach to customisation, now supports developing large apps such as the base application from Microsoft, and so C/SIDE is discontinued for Dynamics 365 Business Central going forward. The classic development environment remains supported in the April '19 update and earlier versions in alignment with the support lifecycle.
- Empower ISV acceleration: The 2019 release wave 2 update delivers a set of features designed to simplify ISV development for new solutions and, specifically, for streamlining the migration from the source code customisation model of Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central. The Dynamics NAV business has been driven by strong vertical ISV solutions, surrounded by add-on solutions. For the 2019 release wave 2 update, Microsoft's focus will be on streamlining the path for ISVs to bring their solutions – and in turn their customers – to Dynamics 365 Business Central online.
- Customer migration tools: After enabling Dynamics NAV ISVs to bring their solutions to Dynamics 365 Business Central online, the next step is to simplify the journey for existing Dynamics SMB customers coming from Dynamics NAV, Dynamics GP, or Dynamics SL to migrate from their current on-premises solutions to Dynamics 365 Business Central online. A set of tools already exists; these will be enhanced with the 2019 release wave 2.
Limited extension to the Dynamics 365 Business Central online localisations is planned for the 2019 release wave 2 in order to prioritise the service fundamentals work ahead of expanding the service footprint. Additional partner-developed localisations will be added following the 2019 release wave 2.
What's new and planned
Here are the features that are planned to release from October 2019 through March 2020 (but remember that delivery timelines may change and projected functionality may not be released - see Microsoft's policy).
In the 'General availability' columns below, 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.
Click on the links below to get more detail on each of the updates via Microsoft's website.
Application enhancements
Microsoft will continue to enhance the application through their focus on performance in the most used areas. The Dynamics 365 Business Central Ideas site continues to be a source for application enhancements.
| Feature | Enabled for | Public preview | General availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancel issued reminders and finance charge memos | End users, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Carry line descriptions to general ledger entries when posting | End users, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Use the Copy document function even when some lines are blocked | End users, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Write larger item cross-reference numbers | End users, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
Application lifecycle management
Once partners have customers live on Dynamics 365 Business Central, there is an immediate need to be able to manage the lifecycle of the customer, the solution, provide support, manage updates, testing, and so on. Microsoft will continue their investment in expanding the scope of the tools available to partners.
| Feature | Enabled for | Public preview | General availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ability to download a database backup file | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | October 2019 | |
| Detailed notifications for update events | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | October 2019 | |
| Multiple production environments | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | October 2019 | |
| New option to report production outage in the Business Central Administration Centre | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | October 2019 | |
| Support for technical upgrades | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | October 2019 | |
| Support for performance data upgrade from C/AL tables to AL tables | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
Empower ISV acceleration
The Dynamics NAV business has been driven by strong vertical ISV solutions, surrounded by add-on solutions. For the 2019 release wave 2, Microsoft's focus will be on streamlining the path for ISVs to bring their solutions – and in turn their customers – to Dynamics 365 Business Central online.
| Feature | Enabled for | Public preview | General availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design for extensibility | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
Migrations to Dynamics 365 Business Central online
This area details Microsoft's migrations to the Dynamics 365 Business Central online roadmap.
| Feature | Enabled for | Public preview | General availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enhancements for customer migration tools | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | October 2019 |
Modern clients
Microsoft accelerate their investment in speed and productivity features for the modern browser experience, achieving a major milestone in its transformation into a world-class desktop experience for new and expert users alike.
| Feature | Enabled for | Public preview | General availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add links to your navigation menu | End users, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Add notes and links to data | End users, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Easy access to a capability overview | End users, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Enhancements to Excel integration | End users, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Full keyboard shortcut support | End users, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| General user experience adjustments | End users, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Longer timeout period for the server connection | End users, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Modern clients only for Business Central | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Personalise actions and navigation on your Role Centre | End users, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Powerful filtering for reports | End users, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Resize columns with fewer clicks | End users, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Saving and personalising list views | End users, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Switch between companies in your Business Inbox in Outlook | End users, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Customise a user profile without writing code | End users, automatically | September 2019 | October 2019 |
| Filtering option fields by multiple values | End users, automatically | September 2019 | October 2019 |
| Multitasking across multiple pages | End users, automatically | September 2019 | October 2019 |
| Speed and agility of data entry | End users, automatically | September 2019 | October 2019 |
Modern developer tools
For the 2019 release wave 2, Dynamics 365 Business Central retires the legacy development tool, C/SIDE, and development language, C/AL, replacing them with a modern solution based on Visual Studio Code, Azure DevOps, and an AL language that supports an extension-based approach to customisation.
| Feature | Enabled for | Public preview | General availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Code documentation attributes | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | October 2019 | |
| Convert tables from C/AL definitions to AL table definitions | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | October 2019 | |
| Database insights made available in AL | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | October 2019 | |
| Translating other extensions | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | October 2019 | |
| Access modifiers | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Attach and debug next | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Base application delivered as AL applications | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Filtering XmlPort Objects | End users by admins, makers, or analysts | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Improved app dependency handling on build and deploy | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| More power to developers using Designer | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
Service fundamentals
Laser focus on performance, reliability, supportability, and security is essential to ensure that service quality remains ahead of the growth in service usage. Accessibility, already in a strong position, must be preserved.
| Feature | Enabled for | Public preview | General availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Support Request option in the Business Central Administration Centre | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | October 2019 | |
| Partners can enter support contact details in the Business Central Administration Centre | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | October 2019 | |
| Lock-free number series | End users, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Page background tasks | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
| Surrogate keys | Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically | August 2019 | October 2019 |
Description of Enabled for column values:
-
End users, automatically – These features include change(s) to the user experience for end users and are enabled automatically.
-
Admins, makers, or analysts, automatically – These features are meant to be used by administrators, makers, or business analysts and are enabled automatically.
-
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.
For a list of the countries or regions where Dynamics 365 business applications are available, see the International availability guide.
For more information about geographic areas, data centres (regions), data storage, and replication, click expand all on the Where your data is located page and find the Microsoft cloud service for this feature.
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.
.png)