SAP’s recent announcement around a new extended-support option for select ECC customers has raised quite a few eyebrows—and understandably so. Many enterprises currently using SAP ECC are under the impression that the original 2027 deadline for transitioning out of standard support has been extended for some select customers. If you’re one of them and are considering deferring your move to SAP S/4HANA, we recommend take a pause and read this first.
Understanding SAP’s New “SAP ERP, Private Edition, Transition Option”
While SAP hasn’t released the full details of this new subscription-based offering, we do know some key details that suggest that not all current SAP ECC version customers will be eligible for it. As we dig deeper into the press release as well as SAP’s last quarterly earnings presentation, we found some early takeaways that are worth noting:
- Eligibility is Limited: This option is intended only for a subset of ECC customers—primarily those with large and complex on-premise IT landscapes, such as:
- Multiple global SAP instances
- Thousands of users
- Multi-lingual deployments
- High compliance requirements
- Co-existing SAP application systems beyond ECC that need upgrading in parallel with S/4 Migration
- Timeline and Subscription Costs: The new subscription offering
- Is available for purchase in 2028, effective from 2031 to 2033
- Will include SAP support (SAP security patches, legal, software issues) and transformation services
- Does not include any other investment costs necessary to address non-supported third-party technologies, as well as establishing SAP HANA as the database platform
- Excludes third-party technology upgrades or SAP HANA platform investments
- Comes with an “expanded fee,” implying higher total investment costs
- Mandatory SAP HANA Migration: Companies leveraging this option must migrate to SAP HANA database before 2030, as legacy databases will no longer be supported.
- No Extension for ECC: This is not an automatic extension for ECC customers—organizations must demonstrate transformation readiness and meet SAP’s predefined complexity criteria.
Does this impact the previously announced SAP service dates for maintenance and extended maintenance?
In short, No! SAP has been clear in both its official press release and Q4 2024 earnings call—the original dates remain unchanged:
2027 – End of regular maintenance for ECC
2030 – End of extended maintenance
What is the next step for Enterprises ECC Customers?
Based on our initial understanding of this new offering, here’s our take:
Stay on Track: Until more information is available, we strongly recommend that ECC customers continue planning and executing their migration to SAP S/4HANA —ideally before 2030. To consider otherwise could increase your investment costs and the risk to your business, which could have a longer-term impact.
Expect Higher Costs: Even if eligible, those considering the new option should anticipate significant additional costs, especially for large enterprises looking at 8–9 figure transformations.
Budget Accordingly: Starting 2027, maintenance fees will increase—and those costs will be in addition to the investment required for eventual S/4HANA migration.
While SAP’s new transition option may seem like a relief for some, it’s best viewed with caution. Eligibility is limited, costs are likely higher, and the deadlines haven’t moved. For most ECC customers, continuing on the S/4HANA migration path —deliberately and without delay—remains the best course of action.