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SAP ECC 6.0 · end of maintenance

ECC 2027: what happens when, and which path fits you.

Mainstream maintenance for SAP ECC ends on 31.12.2027. After that, some paths buy time and some lead somewhere. Here are the deadlines with sources, and a path finder that gives you an honest recommendation in six questions.

Go to the path finder See the 5-day readiness assessment

The deadlines

  1. 31.12.2025

    EHP 0 to 5: mainstream maintenance ended

    For SAP ERP 6.0 with enhancement packages 0 to 5, mainstream maintenance ended at the end of 2025. Since then, customer-specific maintenance applies: SAP solves known issues at unchanged fees. Extended maintenance to 2030 is not open to these levels.

    Source: SAP Notes 2881788 and 1648480 (S-user), summarised by Natuvion · SAP Support: maintenance strategy for SAP Business Suite 7

  2. 31.12.2027

    End of mainstream maintenance for Business Suite 7

    SAP provides mainstream maintenance for the Business Suite 7 core applications (SAP ERP 6.0, CRM 7.0, SCM 7.0, SRM 7.0) until the end of 2027. For ERP, this covers enhancement packages 6 to 8.

    Source: SAP Support: maintenance strategy for SAP Business Suite 7 · SAP News, 4.2.2020: maintenance until 2040 for S/4HANA, clarity for Business Suite 7

  3. 2028 to 2030

    Optional extended maintenance

    If you take it, you pay a premium of two percentage points on the maintenance basis for three years, until the end of 2030. If you do not, customer-specific maintenance applies from 2028.

    Source: SAP Support: maintenance strategy for SAP Business Suite 7 · SAP News, 4.2.2020: maintenance until 2040 for S/4HANA, clarity for Business Suite 7

  4. 2031 to 2033

    SAP ERP, private edition, transition option

    An offer for RISE with SAP customers with large, complex systems: operation until the end of 2033. Conditions: migration to SAP ERP, private edition on SAP HANA before 31.12.2030, a system size of at least 2 TB, the max success plan and a higher fee. The scope is ECC-centred; CRM, SRM and SCM are not included.

    Source: SAP News, 4.2.2025: SAP ERP, private edition, transition option · SAP News, 4.8.2025: transition option updates

  5. After that

    Customer-specific or third-party maintenance

    After extended maintenance, customer-specific maintenance applies. Independent providers also offer maintenance for SAP software. That keeps a stable system running, but brings no new SAP functions and no connection to SAP Business AI.

    Source: SAP Support: maintenance strategy for SAP Business Suite 7

Where DACH SAP users stand

The DSAG Investment Report 2026 (198 respondents, published 26.02.2026) shows how many still face the move:

  • 54% still use SAP ECC or the old Business Suite, often alongside S/4HANA.
  • Of those still investing in ECC, 37% plan to switch by the end of 2027.
  • Almost half of that group plans the switch by the end of 2030; 4% aim for 2033.

So you are not late. But if you aim for 2030, you need a bridge from 2028, and it costs money.

Source: DSAG Investment Report 2026 (press release, 26.2.2026)

The path finder: six questions, one honest recommendation

Answer six questions. The recommendation appears immediately, no sign-up. It follows fixed rules, not a sales target: if no path fits us, we say so.

Which enhancement package (EHP) does your ECC run on?
How many company codes do you run?
How much custom code (Z programs, modifications) is in the system?
Where do your customer processes run?
How far will you go into the cloud?
When is budget available for the move?
Discuss the result with us See the 5-day readiness assessment Sketch the transformation in the planner Fixed-price ECC exit plan

The four paths at a glance

SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud, greenfield

Start fresh on SAP standard processes. Historical data goes to an archive, clean operational data moves to the new core.

Fits when: Your processes are close to standard and you would rather replace custom code than carry it over.

Our role: This is our core: our own team delivers the Public Cloud core and the customer processes around it. Start with the 5-day readiness assessment.

SAP S/4HANA Private Cloud (RISE with SAP)

More room for custom code and complex structures, often as a selective migration or a system conversion.

Fits when: Many company codes or deep custom code have to come along.

Our role: We deliver readiness, CX, integration and SAP BTP extensions around the core. For a large system conversion itself, we recommend a partner with conversion references at your size, and we coordinate with them.

Bridge first, then move

Buy extended maintenance to the end of 2030 and use the time: clean the data, retire custom code, move customer processes to the cloud.

Fits when: Budget or capacity is missing before 2028.

Our role: We help you use the bridge years: data preparation, CX first on your existing ECC, and an ECC exit plan with a date.

Not a fit for us: what to look for

For S/4HANA on premise, or a large system conversion with many company codes and heavy custom code, you need a partner with conversion experience at your size.

Fits when: You stay on premise or plan a large brownfield conversion.

Our role: Look for: an SAP Readiness Check interpreted in writing, custom code analysis with SAP tools, a named team with conversion references and a fixed-price pre-study. If a CX project follows later, we are happy to talk.

Frequent questions about ECC 2027

When does maintenance for SAP ECC end?

Mainstream maintenance for the SAP Business Suite 7 core applications, including SAP ERP 6.0, ends on 31.12.2027. For EHP 0 to 5 it already ended on 31.12.2025. Optional extended maintenance runs from 2028 to the end of 2030, at a premium of two percentage points on the maintenance basis. After that, customer-specific maintenance applies.

What is the SAP ERP, private edition, transition option?

An offer for RISE with SAP customers, announced in February 2025, that keeps ECC-centred systems running from 2031 to 2033. Conditions: migration to SAP ERP, private edition on SAP HANA before 31.12.2030, a system size of at least 2 TB, the max success plan and a higher fee. CRM, SRM and SCM are not included.

Is third-party maintenance an alternative?

Independent providers keep maintaining SAP software. That can buy time for a stable system. New SAP functions, SAP Business AI and the cloud roadmap stay out of reach, though. Treat it as a bridge with an end date, not as a strategy.

Can we start with CX before the ERP moves?

Yes. SAP Sales and Service Cloud V2 can be connected to ECC and later switched to S/4HANA. That often brings the fastest visible benefit while the ERP decision matures.

How do we reach a decision quickly?

The 5-day readiness assessment for S/4HANA Public Cloud costs from CHF 12'000 and is credited against the transformation when commissioned. The ECC exit plan takes 2 to 3 weeks, is path-neutral and comes at a fixed price.

About five quarters remain until the end of 2027.

Enough for a sound decision if you start now. Bring your system facts; we will tell you openly which path fits.

See the 5-day readiness assessment Discuss the result with us