Microsoft Bridge to the Cloud 2 Promotion | Brief Guide 2026

Do you continue to operate a business on an on-premises Dynamics ERP such as Microsoft Dynamics GP, NAV, or AX rather than moving to the cloud? If yes, then now could be the right time to migrate.

Now some people are wondering, why is now the right time to consider migrating Dynamics to the cloud?

As we know, cloud adoption is on the increase throughout the Canadian SMEs and mid-market companies due to enhanced security, scalability, and decreased on-site maintenance overheads. Furthermore, to accelerate migration, Microsoft is providing a Bridge to the Cloud 2 promotion to customers with eligible on-premises Dynamics who can purchase qualifying Dynamics 365 cloud licenses with a fixed three-year non-cancelable term at a 40% discount.

To understand the Microsoft Bridge to Cloud promotion in detail, let’s dive into the article and discuss the main specifics, advantages, and actions to take to gain the most of this deal and realize the potential of Dynamics 365 Business Central.

Overview of Microsoft Bridge to Cloud promotion

Bridge to Cloud 2 is a Microsoft promotion, which is based on a New Commerce Experience (NCE), designed to assist customers in the migration of perpetual on-premises Dynamics licenses into cloud subscriptions with Dynamics 365. Discounted cloud license pricing (typically discounted 40% of list) is available to eligible customers on a set 3-year term basis.

The Microsoft Bridge to Cloud Promotion also aligns with dual-use rights; that is, customers can still use their on-premises Dynamics, but as they switch to the cloud, it minimizes operational disruption in the process of cut-over. Moreover, the Bridge to the Cloud 2 program is aimed at assisting businesses to access digital transformation expediency without losing flexibility and financial control.

Eligibility: Of what products/to what products

Microsoft Bridge to the Cloud 2 mainly aims at customers with on-premises Dynamics solutions licensed via the Dynamics Price List (DPL), like Microsoft Dynamics NAV, GP, AX, SL, and some perpetual Dynamics CRM versions whose maintenance/enhancement plan is still active or otherwise fulfill other license requirements defined in the promotion policy.

The Bridge to Cloud 2 Promotion allows these customers to migrate to Dynamics 365 cloud applications running on Azure, typically Business Central (SaaS) as an ERP solution, but also Dynamics 365 Finance, Supply Chain, Sales, and Customer Service based on the map for each of the products listed in the “from product” column of the official exhibit.

In addition, promotion must be declared by partners when purchasing subscriptions; it is not always auto applied in Partner Center without partner action.

Bridge to the Cloud Promotion Benefits

The following are the benefits that will make the Bridge to the Cloud 2 Promotion appealing:

Substantial license savings: The offer usually provides up to 40% off the qualifying Dynamics 365 licenses during the three-year promotion term, better TCO in the short term, and simplified budget authorization.

Dual-use rights: Continue running your on-premises Dynamics while your cloud migration is planned and implemented; this minimizes business risk and is a non-tremendous migration path.

Three-year predictable pricing: A fixed discounted pricing over the duration of the promotion will be used to finance teams to make predictions and prevent unexpected hikes during migration.

Availability of cloud innovation: Migration to Business Central and other Dynamics 365 applications opens the doors to Azure-native services, Power Platform, AI features, and updates to the features.

Note: The above advantages leave Business Central Bridge to Cloud Promotion particularly applicable to Canadian organizations that aim to maintain business continuity and yet update their ERP environment.

Critical Considerations Before Choosing Business Central Bridge to the Cloud 2

Some of the significant points that will make you avoid surprises are listed below:

Three-year non-cancellable term: The Bridge to the Cloud 2 discounted subscription is normally non-cancellable over a period of three years; you are obliged to the term on the discounted application. If your business is requiring a change, then you will still be liable for the term.

Partner requirements and attestation: The Bridge to Cloud 2 Promotion is partner-driven; partners are required to verify the eligibility of the customer and redeem the promotion at the checkout in Partner Center (it is not automatically redeemed like most NCE promotions). Your Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partner must be informed about the enrollment steps, as this is an important requirement.

Post-promotion: The licenses will go back to normal commercial prices at the end of the three-year promotion period, unless renegotiated. Plan long-term license modelling to avoid budget shocks.

Incompatible with other offers: Business Central Bridge to the Cloud 2 can be associated with other promotions.

Dynamics 365 Business Central Cloud Migration Process: Step-by-Step

Evaluation: List your on-premises Dynamics version, customizations, ISV add-ons, data size, and enhancement plan status. This is what defines eligibility and target licensing.

License modelling & partner engagement: Choose to model costs with a certified partner like Dynamic Square on Dynamics 365 Business Central to match user types (named vs. role licenses) and prepare the CSP subscription.

Enrollment & purchase: In the process of provisioning NCE subscriptions, the partner owns the registration and must verify eligibility in Partner Center and include the promotion in the cart. In addition, check billing frequency (monthly vs annual) as necessary.

Migration implementation: Migrate master and transactional data, implement or refactor customizations (extensions in Business Central), validate integrations, and perform parallel testing under dual use if needed.

Go-live & optimization: Migrate to the cloud, keep an eye on the performance, and carry out the post-migration roadmap (reports, Power Platform automation, and analytics).

Licensing and Cost Implications of Migrating to Dynamics 365 Business Central Cloud

From perpetual to subscription: On-premises perpetual licenses and Enhancement Plan payments are not automatically transformed into cloud subscriptions—the BTTC2 promotion offers a route at discounted cloud subscription rates but must explicitly create a CSP subscription.

User counts and role mapping: Map your existing named/concurrent users to suitable Dynamics 365 role licenses (Business Central Essential/Premium or other Dynamics 365 applications). This affects the monthly subscription levels and qualification for the promotion.

Budget forecasting: Since Microsoft Bridge to Cloud Promotion is a three-year commitment, three-year cloud spending (discounted) vs. three-year maintenance on premise and hardware and staffing continues. Add integration and migration project expenses to have an overall view of TCO.

CSP billing mechanics: Partners will need to insert the promotion ID in the Partner Center cart to apply Business Central Bridge to Cloud to license lines (it will not happen automatically). Agree on passing through and invoicing your savings with your CSP partner.

How Dynamics Square can help

Being a certified partner of Dynamics 365 Business Central with the skills to migrate and convert to the cloud, we offer Bridge to the Cloud 2 migrations end-to-end across Canada

We offer:

• Canadian regulatory and tax-specific eligibility evaluation and license modelling (GST/HST, multi-currency).
• Planning and execution of migration (data, customizations, and ISV integrations).
• Post-migration optimization (Power Platform, analytics, performance tuning).
• Help in enrolling in the Partner Center and provisioning the Business Central Bridge to the Cloud 2 subscription to make the promotion get used just right.

Conclusion

The Bridge to the Cloud 2 promotion that Microsoft has to offer to Canadian organizations is an excellent opportunity to migrate the legacy Dynamics to Dynamics 365 (particularly Business Central) within a reasonable timeframe with the purpose of significant reductions in license fees, the ability to transition to the cloud at will, and an entry to cloud innovation. This is a partner-driven promotion that will need to have close eligibility, license modelling, and migration planning to maximize the benefits.

Call us at +1 778 381 5388 or email us at info@dynamicssquare.ca, and let us develop a customized roadmap to ensure a seamless migration to Business Central within your desired timeframe.