TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Business Central Pricing Plans For Australian Businesses
- 1. Cloud subscription tiers
- 2. Microsoft-hosted on Azure with Australian data centres
- 3. Key Licensing Policies to Know
- 3 Top Features For Growing Australian Companies
- 1. Driving Operational Efficiency
- 2. Smarter Insights, Compliance & Sustainability
- 3. Connecting Teams and Customers
- Business Central Integrations to Expand Your Business Potential
- 1. Microsoft 365
- 2. Power BI for Advanced Reporting
- 3. Shopify, Xero, Stripe & More
- What To Consider About Business Central Implementation?
- 1. What is the implementation roadmap?
- 2. What are the common implementation risks?
- 3. What are the best ways to mitigate implementation risks?
Dynamics 365 Business Central for IWs: What It Is & Guide for Australia
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Marcie Nguyen
Marcie is a skilled writer at Havi Technology focusing on creating content for marketing, eCommerce, point of sales, and ERP solutions. With over 8 years of experience in the retail, eCommerce and ERP technology sectors, Marcie is dedicated to providing insightful answers to business owners of all scales.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central for Information Workers (IWs) is a specialised trial program that allows organisations to evaluate the Business Central system in a safe, non-production setting. This approach, often referred to as Microsoft’s “viral self-service trial,” is designed to help companies involve entire teams, such as finance, sales, and operations, to log in, explore workflows, and evaluate the system together.
For Australian businesses, this approach is especially relevant. With compliance obligations, such as BAS, GST, and Single Touch Payroll (STP), trials that only involve one or two users often fail to capture the full picture. Broad participation helps decision-makers see real process alignment before committing to a paid subscription. However, some regional advanced compliance features may require Premium licenses, add-ons, or assistance from a Microsoft partner. If you need to validate complex compliance scenarios, we recommend working with a local partner.
In this article, you will learn:
What is a Business Central IW Trial License?
A Business Central IW Trial License is Microsoft’s free evaluation version that gives organisations up to 10,000 seats for Information Workers (IWs) to test Dynamics 365 Business Central in a non-production environment. An Information Worker (IW) is a user who primarily views, approves, or consumes information rather than performing heavy transactional or configuration tasks.
Unlike full paid subscriptions, the IW Trial is not intended for live business operations. Its purpose is to allow employees across multiple departments to explore Business Central’s interface, workflows, and reporting features safely, without financial or compliance risks.
At its core, the IW Trial is part of Microsoft’s viral self-service trial model. It uses the same Business Central platform but with restrictions around purpose, scope, and duration. By contrast, the Premium Trial, issued via Microsoft Partner Centre, offers deeper testing with full access to features and your own data, though for fewer users and a shorter duration.
Below are the key differences between IW Trial and Premium Trial that are critical for businesses evaluating ERP adoption.
Feature
Viral / Self-Service IW Trial
Premium Trial
Seat limit
Up to 10,000 IW seats (restricted users for approvals, viewing, reporting)
Limited seats (usually 25), but equivalent to full Essentials or Premium users.
Duration
No fixed expiry; but if unused for 45 days, Microsoft considers the trial expired and deletes the environment
Typically 30 days; extension sometimes via partner or second trial cycle.
Data use
Demo or sample data; non-production environments
More likely to be able to test with own data under certain conditions.
Scope of access
Restricted functionality, limited to lighter tasks;
Full access to all Business Central modules and functions.
Upgrade / Conversion
Can convert to paid Essentials or Premium;
Directly convertible to a paid Essentials or Premium subscription.
Purpose
Broad evaluation with many users across departments
Deeper evaluation, feature-complete testing with own data and full system capabilities.
Now that the IW Trial license has been defined and compared against the Premium Trial option, the next section explains why Microsoft offers this “viral trial” model and why it carries specific importance for Australian businesses evaluating ERP systems.
Why Microsoft Offers IW Trial & Why It Matters for Aussies
Microsoft provides the IW Trial as a practical, low-risk entry point for organisations to evaluate Business Central with real users before committing to paid licenses. Unlike demos, small pilots, or technical proofs of concept, the IW Trial is designed to involve a wide base of employees, test usability across departments, and validate how well the system aligns with everyday processes.
The strategic purpose of the IW Trial is fourfold:
For Australian organisations, this trial has an added benefit: it enables teams to test ERP usability against compliance obligations such as BAS/GST, Single Touch Payroll (STP), and ABA payments before rolling out the system. However, some of these features may require Premium licensing, add-ons, or setup with a local partner. This makes the trial more than just a product preview; it becomes a practical way to validate Business Central against local requirements.
Having understood the strategic reasoning behind the IW Trial, the following section explores which teams and roles inside a business actually use these trial seats, and what processes they can test.
Who Uses Dynamics 365 Business Central IW Trial Seats
Business Central IW Trial seats are used by employees across finance, sales, customer services, operations, and project management to assess how the system supports their day-to-day processes. By involving multiple teams, organisations can evaluate both functionality and cross-department adoption before moving to a paid license. The illustration below shows the common teams in a business that utilise the Business Central IW licenses:
Finance & Accounting
Finance and accounting teams rely on IW trial licenses to check whether Business Central can handle core tasks such as compliance, invoicing, and automated reporting. This includes simulating accounts receivable and payable workflows, exploring automated tax calculations, and checking reporting templates against Australian requirements. The article Business Central Finance further explains how these features support Australian finance operations, including BAS, GST, and STP payroll requirements.
If the IW Trial does not provide the advanced compliance features needed, businesses can switch to a Premium Trial or work with a Microsoft partner for tailored support.
Sales & Customer Services
Sales and marketing teams use Business Central for IWs to evaluate quoting, order processing, and CRM data management. By entering test customer records and generating sample quotes, teams can see how sales processes connect with finance and inventory. This evaluation helps determine if Business Central can replace fragmented CRM and quoting tools. Take a deeper look at how Business Central supports end-to-end sales management.
Operations & Supply Chain
Operations and supply chain staff leverage IW Trial seats to assess inventory visibility, workflow automation, and procurement workflows that are explained in our Business Central Inventory article. They typically test stock tracking, purchase orders, and warehouse tasks with sample data. This allows businesses to confirm whether Business Central can reduce manual spreadsheets and integrate procurement with finance.
Project Management
Project team members utilise the IW license to assess task tracking, resource allocation, and budget control within Business Central. They simulate project timelines, assign resources, and compare planned versus actual costs. For services-based firms in Australia and New Zealand, this is often the clearest way to measure whether Business Central can deliver accurate project profitability insights.
Case example: Mid-sized Australian Manufacturer
For instance, a mid-sized manufacturer in Victoria assigned IW Trial seats to both finance and operations in assessing Business Central. Finance evaluated GST reporting and invoicing accuracy, while operations checked inventory control across multiple warehouses. This multi-department trial provided executives with confidence that Business Central could unify compliance and supply chain functions before moving to Premium licensing.
By seeing how each department engages with IW Trial seats, businesses can gather multi-perspective insights into ERP adoption. The following section explains how the Business Central IW Trial itself works, from sign-up to license transition.
How the Business Central IWs Trial and Licenses Work
The viral/self-service IW Trial operates as a free, ongoing evaluation version of Dynamics 365 Business Central. It differs from Premium Trials in user limits, duration, and extension options, and Microsoft’s policies (see “Trials and Subscriptions”) govern how these trials are managed. To use it effectively, businesses need to know how to activate the trial, what functionality is included, how long access lasts, and the upgrade path afterwards.
How to Sign Up for the IW Trial
Businesses can sign up for the IW Trial either through Microsoft’s self-service viral trial portal or via a local Microsoft partner. The self-service option allows internal administrators to enable trial seats instantly, while partner-assisted onboarding helps organisations set up localisation, demo data, and support for departmental testing.
What’s Included in the IW Trial Account
With the viral/IW Trial, you get up to 10,000 limited-access seats, sample/demo company data, and core modules such as finance, sales, and supply chain. These seats are restricted compared to Essentials or Premium licenses, allowing users to view, approve, and explore workflows but not perform advanced transactions or system configuration. This ensures staff experience the platform while executives understand where full licensing may be required.
How Long the IW Trial Lasts & What Happens Next
The Business Central IW trial does not have a fixed expiry date like a 30-day Premium Trial, but Microsoft will consider it expired and delete the environment if it remains unused for 45 consecutive days. You can also sometimes extend through partner assistance.
When an organisation is ready, it can convert its IW trial (or Premium trial) into a paid Essentials or Premium subscription. Since trial environments are strictly non-production, demo data cannot be migrated directly into a live system without adjustments or partner support. Trial environments differ in scope, duration, and conversion rules, so businesses should coordinate with a local Microsoft partner to plan data migration, onboarding, and full adoption strategies early in the evaluation phase.
Understanding how the viral/self-service trial operates, its signup, duration, limitations, and how it compares to Premium is essential groundwork. Next, we'll cover a localisation checklist specifically for Australian businesses, so you know how to verify during your Business Central IW Trial.
How to Evaluate Business Central with IW Trial for Australian Businesses
For Australian businesses, using Business Central IW trial licenses effectively requires a structured approach that measures both compliance readiness and practical business value. The IW Trial is not a production system, but it can provide realistic insights when used with a clear evaluation framework. The following guide outlines how Australian organisations can assess suitability before moving to a paid license. See the detailed steps in the illustration below:
Step 1: Define success criteria and trial objectives
The first step is to set clear objectives so that the IW Trial seats deliver insights aligned with business priorities. This ensures evaluation focuses on outcomes, not just feature exploration. Key questions to ask include:
Step 2: Departmental testing across core functions
Assign trial seats to key departments and have them simulate daily workflows. This ensures you capture balanced feedback for decision-making:
Step 3: Confirm Australian localisation must-checks
Evaluating localisation is crucial to avoid compliance risks. During the trial, verify:
Some of these capabilities may only be accessible with Premium licensing or partner configuration.
Step 4: Review reporting and dashboards
Reporting capabilities are essential for business decision-making. Use the trial to test:
Step 5: Consult Microsoft partners and plan an upgrade
The final step is to involve a Microsoft partner to align trial insights with long-term adoption. Partner input ensures the transition from trial to production is realistic and cost-effective.
Practical approach for Australian businesses:
Many companies start with the IW Trial to get broad exposure across teams, then move into a Premium Trial for focused testing on industry-specific scenarios with their own business data, system integrations, such as an e-commerce platform and industry apps, before committing to a paid Essentials or Premium subscription. The next section will explore some important considerations for Dynamics 365 Business Central for IWs and what businesses usually ask.
FAQs & Important Considerations for Dynamics 365 Business Central for IWs
When utilising Dynamics 365 Business Central for IWs, it’s important to understand what you can and cannot do with the trial setup. This section highlights key considerations and answers common questions so Australian businesses can make informed decisions before starting their IW evaluation.
Important Things to Know Before You Start
Before using a Business Central IW trial, there are some critical points that can help you set expectations correctly. Knowing these upfront saves time and ensures your evaluation is focused and practical.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Dynamics 365 and Business Central for IWs?
Business Central for IWs is a trial license of Business Central that is included within the broader Dynamics 365 product suite, while “Dynamics 365” more generally refers to Microsoft’s full suite of cloud CRM and ERP applications used by enterprises. See a more detailed comparison between Business Central vs Dynamics 365.
Is IW Trial a different version of Business Central?
No. It’s the same Business Central, just a trial setup with many limited-access seats for broad evaluation. You can refer to Microsoft Learn for official guidance on trial limits.
Is support included during the IW Trial?
Support is limited. For guided setup, migration planning, or troubleshooting, you’ll need to engage a Microsoft partner.
Understanding these FAQs and important considerations sets the stage for informed decision-making. Next, let’s explore Business Central IW pricing and what comes after the IW trial, so you can plan the transition from evaluation to full deployment with confidence.
Business Central IWs Pricing and What Comes After the IW Trial
Business Central IW seats cost nothing because they are free trial licenses for evaluation only. Once the IW trial ends, businesses must purchase Essentials or Premium licenses to continue using Business Central in production. To understand Dynamics 365 Business Central pricing, licensing options, and implementation path, it is best to work with a certified Microsoft Business Central partner in Australia. Local partners, such as Havi Technology, can guide you through planning, localised setup, and a seamless transition from the IW trial to a full subscription.
In summary, the Business Central IW trial is a practical, risk-free way to evaluate the platform in a real-world environment. Contact us to book a localised demo, test IW seats, and see firsthand how Business Central can streamline your business operations.
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