Blog - Joesoftware Inc.

Implications on the Recent Apache Log4j Vulnerability

Penny and Spencer are not affected by the Apache Log4j vulnerability

A high severity vulnerability, (CVE- 2021-44228), impacting multiple versions of Apache Log4j utility, was disclosed publicly on December 9, 2021. The vulnerability impacts Apache Log4j 2 versions- 2.0 to 2.14.1. You can find the details of this vulnerability documented here: https://logging.apache.org/log4j/2.x/security.html

Neither Penny nor Spencer access this module and as a result, there are no patches required.

If you have third party solutions that you are unsure, we do recommend you check out vendor sites to ensure they have no use of the module or they have installed a patch.

Posted in Dynamics GP, Enterprise Resource Planning | No Comments »

Microsoft Announces Dynamics GP Commitment

Dynamics GP will Continue to be Supported to 2028 and Beyond

Back in September 2019, we wrote a blog on Microsoft’s announcement that Dynamics GP would fall under the new modern policy. This was an important message from Microsoft as it indicated to the GP community that there was an increased commitment for the software and it suggested that the company would stay committed for the long term. However, since that time we have been waiting for an expanded message from Microsoft.

Well, it is now official! Microsoft has published the new Lifecycle Roadmap for Dynamics GP and its commitment to Dynamics GP to 2028 and beyond. For more information, you see the announcement from Terry Heley, Microsoft Senior Escalation Engineer for Dynamics GP. The graphic below is the official roadmap release from Microsoft.

At the end of the day, this announcement from Microsoft demonstrates the commitment to Dynamics GP by extending the Modern Lifecycle beyond the Fixed Lifecycle.

What Does this Mean for Dynamics GP Customers?

This transition from Fixed Lifecycle support (with a predetermined end date) to Modern Lifecycle support (no end date) indicates that Microsoft will keep improving and maintaining the software. In addition, GP will receive more regular updates which when compared to larger version upgrades, these all-inclusive updates are easier to manage and deploy.

The overall message is that there is no requirement for at least 5 years, for any GP customers to feel they need to switch to an alternative Microsoft solution like Dynamics 365 Business Central. If there was a belief that GP was going away, we can confirm that it won’t happen for likely 10 years or 2033.

Even though this is good news for many customers who thought GP was going away, we do encourage GP customers to consider their strategic planning on a 3-to-5-year horizon and assess their organizational ERP needs over that time. This means considering things like pain point reduction, driving out inefficiencies, improved reporting, or even reducing infrastructure by moving to a GP cloud hosting infrastructure. Part of the strategic consideration could also be a possible move to a new cloud-hosted solution like Business Central sometime in the future. To help through some of this thinking, Joesoftware is offering a complimentary 90-minute roadmap consultation to kickstart this planning. If you have Dynamics GP and are interested in this session, contact us to find out more or book your session.

Posted in Dynamics GP, Enterprise Resource Planning | No Comments »

Microsoft Windows Update Creates GP Printing Issues

Dynamics GP Printing Black Boxes Instead of Images

Recently we were notified by Microsoft of an issue with Report Writer. The problem is that when you print in Dynamics GP, black boxes may appear instead of images. This is most likely affecting the company branding.

Details of this issue can be found in the Microsoft GP Community Post.

Microsoft has confirmed that the source of this issue, which is not limited to problems with GP, is a result of recent Windows updates. As most systems have the Windows update set as automatic, there is no real awareness as to why GP printing would suddenly have an issue.

The Microsoft GP group is working with the Windows group to better understand how their changes have impacted printing calls in Dynamics GP. There is optimism for a Windows fix shortly, but it is unclear at this time as to when or if that might be available.

The Temporary Solution

Although not optimal, there is a fix that should rectify any printing issues you might be experiencing with GP in the short term. What is required is:

Roll the Windows update back on any workstations or servers involved in the printing process.
Pause the Windows updates.

To help with this rollback process, we have produced a small guide: How to Uninstall a Windows Update.

The Fix

Once Microsoft provides a fix to Windows, we will update this post.

Posted in Dynamics GP | No Comments »

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2016 Mainstream Support Ends July 13th, 2021

GP 2016 Tax and Year End Updates End Mid-July

Microsoft has announced the end of mainstream support for Dynamics GP 2016 and Dynamics GP R2. This is particularly important for customers who utilize payroll, as they will no longer receive tax table updates for GP 2016 versions after that date. The following table is taken from the on the Microsoft Dynamics GP blog, which outlines the programs for Mainstream and Extended Support Phases.

What does this mean for you?

Regardless as to whether you have payroll or not, it is always
best to keep your version of Dynamics GP in the Mainstream Support Phase. Again, if you use GP payroll, you should plan to have an upgrade by July 2021, as it is possible that CRA may release updates at that time. In past years, there have been a variety of mid-year provincial tax updates that are released typically in July. Federal mid-year changes are much less common, but of course, we are in anything but typical this year.

If you are on GP 2010 or earlier, we definitely need to get you upgraded, as your solution will no longer even have Extended Support. We recommend this never happens.

There will be a number of customer upgrades being completed between now and the end of 2021. To ensure that you get on the schedule, you should reach out now to begin the discussion. We are here to help you make sure that your Dynamics GP is ready for the future.

Posted in Dynamics GP, Payroll | No Comments »

How to Manage the 4 New CRA Payroll Codes in Dynamics GP

For the 2020 tax reporting year, CRA has introduced 4 new codes to the Other Information section of the T4 slip to accommodate the Canada Wage Subsidy (CEWS) , the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), and the Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB). In addition to reporting employment income in T4 box 14, all employers that paid income to an employee on a pay date that fell between March 15 and September 26 are required to complete this new reporting.

(more…)

Posted in Dynamics GP, Payroll, Penny | No Comments »