SAP Support Deadlines Companies Should Be Planning for Now

SAP’s mainstream maintenance for SAP ERP 6.0 and the other Business Suite 7 core applications ends at the close of 2027. That date starts the planning clock for most SAP customers, and it leads to two later horizons: 2030 and 2033. Each horizon comes with its own conditions, and neither covers every system in a typical SAP landscape. Planning well starts with knowing which horizon applies to each system and what it takes to reach it.

SAP’s Two Planning Horizons Come With Different Commitments

The 2030 horizon applies to customers that stay on their current deployment. SAP offers extended maintenance for Business Suite 7 core applications from the beginning of 2028 through the end of 2030, at a premium of two percentage points on the maintenance basis.

The 2033 horizon applies to customers that commit to SAP’s private cloud path, and it carries more conditions. SAP ERP, private edition, transition option is a subscription that customers can buy starting in 2028 and use from 2031 to 2033, and SAP states that it is not a maintenance extension for SAP ERP. Under SAP’s published prerequisites, systems must move to SAP ERP, private edition on SAP HANA before December 31, 2030, must be at least 2 TB, and must be paired with the max success plan, which SAP charges for separately.

Timing also affects cost. SAP says customers that committed to private edition by the end of 2025 can switch in 2031 on commercially equivalent terms, while 2026 sign-ups face a standard 20 percent uplift. SAP has not yet disclosed the uplift for customers that sign up in 2027 or later.

The 2027 Date Reaches Beyond SAP ERP 6.0

SAP’s 2027 date covers the core applications of Business Suite 7, including the latest three enhancement packages of SAP ERP 6.0, SAP Customer Relationship Management 7.0, SAP Supply Chain Management 7.0, and SAP Supplier Relationship Management 7.0, as well as SAP Business Suite powered by SAP HANA. Extended maintenance through 2030 applies across that scope.

The transition option is narrower. SAP says its scope centers on SAP ECC and will not include the full Business Suite 7 scope, which remains available only until the end of 2030. SAP lists the eligible products in SAP Note 3591251 and requires systems to have mitigation in place for products the option does not cover.

This creates a practical planning risk. A company could secure a 2033 horizon for its ECC core while connected CRM, SCM, or SRM systems reach 2030 as their last planned date, unless SAP’s note lists them as eligible. Eligibility needs to be confirmed system by system.

A Lifecycle Map Starts With the SAP Core and Extends to the Rest of the Estate

A lifecycle map brings these dates together in one place. Each SAP system gets an entry showing the horizon it can reach, whether it qualifies for the transition option, and which connected systems depend on it. Organized that way, the map shows where a 2030 limit on one system could constrain the plan for another.

The map should also include any non-SAP ERPs, which follow their own vendors’ timelines. Dynamics GP support ends at the close of 2029, while Oracle commits Premier Support for its Applications Unlimited products through at least 2037.

Where SAP customers run these systems in subsidiaries or acquired businesses, the earliest hard date may sit outside the SAP core. Listing them alongside SAP systems keeps the SAP schedule complete.

What This Means for SAPinsiders

• Confirm which horizon each commitment actually buys. The 2033 runway depends on meeting the transition option’s technical, size, and contract conditions, and its cost depends on when a customer signs. Checking terms early keeps companies from planning around a date they may not qualify for.
• Inventory every SAP system tied to the 2027 clock. The date covers CRM, SCM, and SRM as well as ECC, and the transition option does not cover the full suite. A complete inventory ensures no system reaches the end of mainstream maintenance without a plan.
• Include non-SAP systems in the same map. Subsidiaries and acquired businesses may run ERPs with support dates that fall before or after SAP’s horizons. Tracking them together keeps a deadline elsewhere in the estate from disrupting the SAP plan.