When does SAP ECC support end?
SAP provides mainstream maintenance for SAP ECC 6.0, and the other core applications of SAP Business Suite 7, until 31 December 2027, for systems on the latest three enhancement packages (EHP 6, 7 and 8). Customers can buy optional extended maintenance from 2028 to the end of 2030 at a premium of two percentage points on their maintenance basis. SAP has also announced a paid SAP ERP, private edition, transition option that can extend support for some customers to the end of 2033, tied to a move to SAP's cloud ERP. SAP's own successor, SAP S/4HANA, is maintained until at least the end of 2040.
| Date | What ends | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2027 | Mainstream maintenance for SAP ECC 6.0 and SAP NetWeaver 7.5 (including BW 7.5 and PI/PO 7.5) | The last date covered by your standard maintenance fee |
| 31 Dec 2030 | Optional extended maintenance | Three more years, at two percentage points more on your maintenance basis |
| 31 Dec 2033 | SAP ERP, private edition, transition option | A paid option for some customers, tied to moving to SAP's cloud ERP |
| 31 Dec 2040 | SAP's maintenance commitment for S/4HANA | The horizon for the platform you are moving to |
What happens if we do nothing?
First, check your enhancement package. The 2027 date covers SAP ERP 6.0 on EHP 6, 7 or 8 only, so systems on older enhancement packages need an upgrade, or a move, to be in mainstream maintenance at all.
The system keeps running on 1 January 2028. What changes is the support around it. Without extended maintenance, SAP ECC moves to customer-specific maintenance, where SAP no longer ships regular support packages or legal and regulatory updates. For many organisations, payroll, tax and reporting changes are the first place this hurts.
The quieter costs arrive earlier. Every ECC customer faces the same date, so specialist capacity will tighten as 2027 approaches, and every month spent on ECC is a month of maintenance paid on a platform you are leaving.
What are the four options?
- Move to S/4HANA before the end of 2027. The cleanest outcome. It is still possible for some landscapes if the work starts now and the workstreams are tightly sequenced.
- Buy extended maintenance and move by 2030. Buys three years at a known premium. Sensible for complex landscapes, as long as the move actually starts rather than drifting.
- Use the transition option to 2033. Only for some customers, and tied to SAP's cloud ERP. Read the commercial terms carefully before treating it as a plan.
- Leave SAP. A real option for some mid-sized organisations, especially where ECC has been heavily customised or is used for only part of the business. It needs the same discipline as an S/4HANA move.
Brownfield, greenfield or selective?
A brownfield system conversion keeps your configuration, customisation and history, and is usually the fastest path. A greenfield implementation starts again with standard processes, which costs more but can retire years of complexity. Selective data transition sits between them, moving chosen company codes, processes or years. The right answer depends on how much of your current design you would choose again today.
What a 15-month plan can look like
An illustrative sequence for a single-instance ECC landscape, delivered as fixed-price 30-day sprints. Yours will differ.
| When | Workstream |
|---|---|
| Q4 2026 | Migration Blueprint, custom code analysis, and the database move to SAP HANA if you are not on it yet |
| Q1 2027 | Custom code remediation sprints and business partner conversion for customers and vendors |
| Q2 2027 | Interfaces from PI/PO to SAP Integration Suite, and the BW or analytics move |
| Q3 2027 | Conversion rehearsals, data reconciliation and user testing |
| Q4 2027 | Production cutover ahead of the year-end freeze, then hypercare |
Questions to ask before you sign anything
- Is the price fixed for a defined scope, or billed on time and materials?
- When will we see the first workstream live, not just a plan?
- Can we stop between phases without penalty?
- How will data be reconciled, and who signs it off?
- What is the rollback plan for the conversion weekend?
- Do we own all code, documentation and configuration at the end?
- Is the adviser independent, or paid more if we choose a particular licence?
The deadline is set. The size of each step is not. Smaller steps are how you meet it safely.
How we help
We deliver SAP ECC to S/4HANA migration and SAP HANA migration as fixed-price 30-day sprints from A$50,000, after a five-day Migration Blueprint that sequences your workstreams. Prices are in Australian dollars and exclude GST. We are independent and do not resell SAP licences. Check every related date in our end-of-support tracker.
Sources
- SAP News: SAP S/4HANA maintenance to 2040 and Business Suite 7 maintenance (4 February 2020)
- SAP Learning: SAP NetWeaver 7.5 maintenance (mainstream to 2027, extended to 2030)
- SAP Support: maintenance strategy for SAP S/4HANA and SAP Business Suite 7
- SAP News: SAP ERP, private edition, transition option (February 2025) and updates (August 2025)
General information only, not legal or commercial advice. Confirm the dates and terms that apply to your SAP agreements with SAP or your reseller.