If you are currently running Epicor Kinetic on-premises or in a non-Epicor hosted cloud environment, now is the time to move from “reactive maintenance” to “strategic planning.” Here is everything you need to know about the switch and a step-by-step guide for SMBs to prepare.

The Sunset Timeline: Important Dates for Your Calendar

Epicor has laid out a phased approach to sunsetting on-premises releases. Understanding these deadlines is the first step in avoiding a last-minute scramble. Below are the dates for Epicor Kinetic.

• May 2026: With the release of Kinetic 2026.1, Epicor officially retires the Smart Client. All Epicor customers upgrading to this release or later will need to transition users to the browser-based client using the Kinetic user interface if not already adopted in an earlier release. This applies to all Epicor deployments.

• January 2028: Epicor has tentatively scheduled the release of version 2028.1. This will be the final, fully functional on-premises major release. Major releases, currently done twice per year, are where Epicor incorporates new functionality or “innovation” to the Kinetic product line. All future innovation, including AI-driven tools and other major functional enhancements will only be delivered only in the cloud start with version 2028.2.  

• December 31, 2029: Active Support for 2028.1 ends consistent with Epicor’s current support lifecycle policy.

• January 1, 2030: Sustaining Support begins. This means no new bug fixes, security patches, or compliance updates for 2028.1 and prior, only limited assistance for existing issues.

The key dates for Prophet 21 and BisTrack vary from Kinetic. Consult Epicor’s website for details on those products.

Why the Shift? The “Cloud-Only” Value Proposition

For Epicor, maintaining two separate codebases (Cloud and On-Prem) slows down innovation. By moving to a cloud only architecture, they can deploy updates faster and integrate advanced technologies like Epicor Prism (their generative AI agent), Epicor Grow AI, and others more effectively.

For SMBs, the benefits of moving to the cloud include:

1. Reduced IT Overhead: You no longer need to manage physical servers, SQL licenses, or hardware refresh cycles.
2. Enhanced Security: SMBs are prime targets for ransomware. Transitioning to Epicor’s cloud (built on Microsoft Azure) provides enterprise-grade security and disaster recovery that most small businesses can’t afford to build and manage in-house.
3. Ubiquitous Access: The browser-based interface allows your team to work from anywhere without complex VPNs.
4. Continuous Updates: Instead of less frequent, larger project upgrades every few years you will receive smaller, manageable updates twice a year.

Check out this other blog for another benefit of moving to the cloud: AI sustainability.

The Risk of Doing Nothing

Staying on-premises past version 2028.1 means committing to maintenance, not growth. You will be essentially freezing your system in time while your competitors adopt new technologies like AI forecasting, automated supply chain triggers, and real-time mobile analytics, and other, smaller improvements to existing functionality, that beginning with Kinetic 2028.2, will only be available in the cloud-based Kinetic.

Furthermore, as industries move toward “Zero Trust” security, legacy on-premises systems become increasingly difficult to ensure. Many cyber insurance providers are raising premiums—or denying coverage entirely—for businesses running end-of-life software on aging local hardware.

Of course, the cloud may not be the answer for every SMB. For the rest of this blog, we’ll go over advice for businesses who want to make the switch. However, if you’re committed to staying with the on-premises version of Epicor and want advice on how to make that work for as long as possible, let’s talk.

5 Steps for SMBs to Prepare for the Switch

Moving to the cloud is a transformation of how your business operates. As such, this transition needs to be handled with the utmost care and attention to detail. Here’s how to get started:

1. The Customization Audit

Most long-term Epicor users have heavily customized their systems, and this can be a significant hurdle to switching to the cloud. Customizations requiring server-side code and related files are not permitted on Epicor hosted servers for security and maintenance reasons. Inventory all customizations and assess the use case(s) they were developed and cut any that are no longer required. Then determine the impact of migrating remaining customs to the cloud environment. Epicor 2023.2 includes a Configuration Upgrade Dashboard that can also be a helpful starting point.

Change in Licensing: On-premise perpetual licensing will change to the SAAS (software-as-a-service) model.

2. Data Governance Check-In

Now is a great time to analyze your current data governance policies and strategies and consider implementing changes. In a project like this, most stakeholders will be motivated to produce cleaner, more secure, and more organized data.

3. Network and Infrastructure Assessment

When your ERP moves to the cloud, your internet connection becomes your most critical piece of infrastructure. Conduct a stress test on your current bandwidth and consider investing in a secondary “failover” internet connection (like a 5G backup or a different provider). If your internet goes down in a cloud-only world, your production line stops.

4. Leverage the “Ascend with Epicor” Program

Epicor offers the Ascend with Epicor program to streamline the process. The program includes automated, AI enabled landscape analysis tools (Analyzer) that scan your current environment and generate a “readiness assessment.” It highlights exactly which customizations will break and which data needs attention. You can also contact your Epicor account manager to request a readiness assessment. It’s the best way to see the “gap” you need to bridge.

5. User Training

The shift from the “Classic” screen look to the modern Kinetic browser interface can be jarring for employees who have used Epicor for many years. Identify power users in each department and give them early access to a pilot environment. You will need to provide extensive training opportunities for your employees. Build a culture where users are comfortable with the browser-based UI long before the actual cutover date.

Managing the Financial Shift

For many SMB owners, moving from a capital expenditure (buying the software and servers upfront) to an operational expenditure (a monthly subscription) will be an unwelcome change. However, while the monthly bill might look higher at first glance, you must calculate the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). When you factor in the cost of server hardware, electricity, cooling, IT staff time, SQL maintenance, and the risk of downtime, the cloud often proves more cost-effective over a five-year horizon.

If your company is in a highly regulated industry (like aerospace or medical devices), look into Epicor Kinetic Government Cloud or Custom Cloud options. These provide the benefits of SaaS while meeting strict compliance requirements like ITAR or FDA validation.

The Path Forward

The move to cloud-only is an invitation to modernize your business. By starting your audit and data cleansing today, you can avoid panic or system downtime when changes occur. The goal isn’t just to move your ERP to someone else’s server; it’s to build a resilient, agile foundation that can scale as fast as your business does.

If you’re looking for some help during this transition, we’re here for you! Our experts at Laminin can help you strategize, customize, and integrate your Epicor Kinetic software—even during such a big transition. Please contact us to discuss how we can support your business and its unique needs and goals.