Oracle is a trusted name among corporations using business applications and the Cloud ERP suite. It offers solutions to businesses of all sizes, helping manage operations smoothly. As a result, they boost productivity and bring innovation. One of Oracle’s best offerings is the E-Business Suite, which offers a wide range of ERP applications for businesses.

If you are an E-Business Suite user, you might be familiar with Oracle’s decision to end Premier Support, the highest level of support, for EBS R12.1. It means that as soon as 2021 ends, clients using Version 12.1 of the application will be moved to Sustaining Support or must purchase Market-Driven Support. This article discusses all the implications and risks of losing Oracle EBS R12.1 Premier Support for clients.

What is Oracle EBS R12.1?

Oracle EBS R12.1 refers to Version 12.1 of the Oracle E-Business Suite, which was released in 2009 and includes Premier Support through 12/31/2021. Premier Support offers 24/7 support, along with support tools, regular updates, and much more.

How Oracle is Withdrawing Support by January 2022

According to Oracle’s lifetime support model, each version of E-Business Suite gets Premier Support for up to five years after its release. During this period, the company continues to facilitate clients through security patches, critical path upgrades, round-the-clock support, etc. Oracle’s Premier Support gives clients access to a trusted and secure framework of business applications that allows companies from various industries to run their business risk-free, thereby maximizing their profits.

Once the five-year period ends, the support model typically shifts clients to Extended Support, which prolongs the same support and features another three years. For an additional annual fee, clients can receive security patches, critical patch upgrades, and necessary features to keep business operations running smoothly.

When the time came for Premier Support to end for EBS R12.1, Oracle decided to extend it by another five years in 2016 rather than move to the extended support phase. This meant that clients would be able to access full-scale support services without any additional fee. Due to this extension, Premier Support for EBS 12.1 was made available till December 2021.

As soon as the new year rings in, users of E-Business Suite Release 12.1 will shift from Premier Support to Sustaining Support. This will entitle them to limited maintenance features and online support but no legislative updates or critical security patches. This may be risky for businesses and cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars.

As an option, Oracle is offering Market-Driven Support for release 12.1 for two additional years. Market-Driven Support is focused on clients who intend to upgrade to release 12.2 of EBS or migrate to Cloud ERP but can’t do it before January 1, 2022. For an additional fee, clients who switch to MDS would be able to receive 24/7 support, security patches and upgrades, major product and technology releases, and several other features that are a part of Premier Support. Clients must meet minimum requirements and patch levels for EBS and the database to be eligible for MDS.

Risks of Staying on Sustaining Support

Currently, the latest version of Oracle E-Business Suite is version 12.2, which was released in 2014. Clients who upgrade from version 12.1 to 12.2 will continue receiving Premier Support until January 2032. However, those who stick with version 12.1 will face some changes in the way their systems are run, and they will also be more vulnerable. Let’s have a look at the risks involved in continuing with Sustaining Support.

Lack of Security

One of the hallmarks of Oracle’s business applications is the enhanced level of security that they provide, which offers peace of mind to clients as they rely on the E-Business Suite for their day-to-day operations. By now, you are already aware that clients who stay on EBS 12.1 will miss out on security patches and critical upgrades. As a result, their system will be vulnerable to cyberattacks and risks of data theft.

Lack of Compliance with Regulations and Policies

Thanks to the latest data privacy regulations and certain compliance requirements, companies are now required to adhere to these requirements by insurance policies covering cybersecurity. However, clients who are using EBS R12.1 won’t be able to maintain compliance and may also invite an audit into their systems.

Missing Out on Key Updates

As mentioned above, Oracle Premier Support also provides EBS users with security patches, new releases, upgrades, and much more. When the deadline passes and clients are moved to Sustaining Support, they won’t be able to receive any new updates or security patches, which might hinder the efficiency of their operations.

Delayed Support Response

One of the key benefits of having Premier Support is that you get access to support operations 24/7, and whenever you raise a ticket for any issue, it is addressed and resolved as soon as possible. However, Sustaining Support doesn’t provide clients the same level of rapid response as they receive with EBS Premier Support.

Therefore, if you have submitted a ticket regarding an issue, you may have to wait a long time before it is addressed. This can also be costly for your business, and you may even encounter lost revenue.

Inability to Receive Bug Fixes

Version 12.1 of the E-Business Suite is sufficient for several businesses, which is why they wouldn’t want to switch to version 12.2. However, when they lose Premier Support, they also stop receiving bug fixes or patches that are important to keep applications running smoothly. As a result, you won’t be able to get timely fixes, and it may directly affect your operations.

What Options Do EBS Users Have?

Now that you are aware of all the implications of losing Premier Support for EBS 12.1, you’re probably considering your options and pondering what to do. Here are some of the steps that you can take to mitigate the issue.

Purchase Market-Driven Support

As mentioned above, clients using EBS R12.1 will be able to switch to Market-Driven Support for two years to enjoy the full functionality and features that Premier Support currently offers. However, Market-Driven Support won’t be free, which means that clients will have to pay a significant amount to avoid downgrading to Sustaining Support. However, it will be worth the investment since you will be able to put off upgrading to R12.2 for another two years.

Upgrade to Version 12.2

This is one of the easiest and most effective solutions that you can adopt right now. Not only would it guarantee Premier Support for another ten years, but it would also help you run your business without any disruptions or downtime. Although the upgrades will come with a cost, they would certainly pay you back in increased revenue and decreased risk.

Migrate to Oracle Cloud

Another thing you can do is to migrate to the Oracle Cloud, following the end of Premier Support for EBS 12.1. This would upgrade your business to a new level of efficiency and productivity, and you will receive all the advantages that the Oracle Cloud offers. Moreover, Oracle also takes care of the maintenance and system upgrades, so you won’t have to worry about it.

Plus, it also becomes easier for you to integrate new Oracle applications and features into your infrastructure, and it will also be a cost-effective method for you.

In a nutshell, the need for a solution is imminent, and all clients will have to make a decision. Businesses can make the transition easier with a trusted technology partner that specializes in the implementation upgrade, and managed services for Oracle applications, such as CherryRoad.

We are Oracle Premier Partners and have extensive experience in working with EBS integration for several companies. We have helped several clients implement and migrate to Oracle E-Business Suite. We can also help you navigate around the loss of Premier Support for EBS 12.1 and devise an effective, long-term solution that benefits you.

To know more about EBS R12.2 New Features, download this presentation by Infosemantics (A CherryRoad company)