Returning to Oracle Support: 15 Strategic Insights for Enterprise CIOs
Executive Summary
Enterprise CIOs and IT leaders running Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS), JD Edwards, or Siebel often turned to third-party support to cut costs. Now, many are considering negotiating a return to Oracle support to regain official updates and ensure Oracle license compliance.
However, Oracle support reinstatement comes with significant costs, including back support fees for lapsed years and steep penalties, making it critical to approach re-engagement with a strategic plan.
This advisory article presents 15 key insights to help CIOs navigate Oracle’s policies on support reinstatement, manage licensing and compliance preparation, mitigate financial impact, and negotiate time for the best outcome.
The goal is to equip enterprises with actionable advice to return to Oracle support on favorable terms while focusing entirely on Oracle’s offerings and requirements.
15 Strategic Insights for CIOs Negotiating a Return to Oracle Support
- Audit and Inventory Your Oracle Licenses Before Negotiations – Begin with a comprehensive internal audit of your Oracle EBS, JD Edwards, and Siebel licenses and usage. Verify what you own and what you’re using. This licensing prep ensures you understand your entitlements and any gaps. If you return to support, Oracle will likely review your compliance, so proactively identify any unlicensed usage or excess deployments. Cleaning up or properly licensing any issues before engaging Oracle gives you a stronger negotiating position and avoids surprises during Oracle’s compliance checks. In one 2023 case, a CIO discovered extra EBS modules in use without licenses, rectifying this internally saved a costly compliance penalty when negotiating support reinstatement. By ensuring Oracle license compliance up front, you remove a key Oracle pressure point (the audit threat) and demonstrate good faith, leading to a smoother reinstatement process.
- Understand Oracle’s Support Reinstatement Policy (Back Fees + 150% Penalty) – Oracle’s standard policy requires that if support has lapsed, the customer must pay all back support fees for the lapsed period plus a reinstatement fee of 150% of those lapsed fees. In practice, Oracle will invoice you as if you had never left, charging for the years of support and a 50% surcharge on each of those years. For example, Oracle’s official terms specify that if you stopped support on a $50K/year contract two years ago, to reinstate, you’d owe the 2 years of unpaid support ($100K) plus a 150% penalty on that amount ($150K). This policy is intentionally punitive; Oracle discourages dropping and rejoining support by making costs very high. CIOs must differentiate reinstatement fees vs. back support fees: back support is the “missed” maintenance, while 150% is a penalty for lapse. Together, these can result in a hefty one-time bill. For instance, organizations that left Oracle support for 3+ years often face reinstatement quotes in the millions once all fees are tallied. Understanding this upfront is crucial for building your negotiation strategy and cost model.
- Quantify Your Back-Support Liability and Compare with Buying New – Calculate the total back-support fee liability before committing to Oracle’s reinstatement offer. Multiply your last annual support fee by the number of years of support, then add 50% on top of that sum (the reinstatement penalty). This total represents the theoretical cost to rejoin. Next, compare that number to the cost of purchasing new licenses for the same products (which would come with one year of support). If you’ve been off support for several years, the cost of new licenses might be lower than paying for all back maintenance. Oracle’s policies even acknowledge this trade-off – if you later want to return to support after years away, you may have to either pay for the lapsed support or buy new licenses to get back on contract. Real-world example: A manufacturing company 2024 faced a $2M bill to reinstate Oracle EBS support after 5 years off; instead, they negotiated a deal to purchase new licenses for ~$1.2M with a fresh support contract, avoiding ~$800K in fees. Always run the numbers for “reinstatement vs. new purchase”, it can reveal a strong argument in negotiations if the reinstatement sum is unreasonable.
- Prune Unused Licenses to Reduce Your Support Base. Look at your Oracle license inventory for any shelfware or modules you no longer need. Oracle’s rules require that all licenses in a product family be on the same support status (the “matching service levels” rule). This means you generally cannot return support for only some of your licenses while keeping others unsupported – you’d have to terminate (give up) any licenses you choose not to put back on Oracle support. Identifying unused EBS modules, JD Edwards components, or Siebel user licenses that your organization can live without is a key cost mitigation tactic. You can avoid paying support on those quantities by terminating unused licenses (essentially agreeing to stop using them). For example, if you have 100 JD Edwards user licenses but only 60 active users, you might decide to drop 40 licenses from the contract before re-signing. Terminate those licenses in writing so Oracle can’t charge support on them. This reduces the support bill and the back fees. Many enterprises in 2023–2024 employed this strategy: one financial services firm cut its Siebel licenses by 30% (removing dormant user accounts) before reinstatement, saving an estimated $300K/year in support fees. Just ensure you no longer need the functionality of any license you drop; once terminated, you lose the legal right to use it.
- Assess Upgrade Requirements (EBS, JD Edwards, Siebel Versions) – Understand the state of your software versions and what Oracle will require once you’re back on support. Oracle will provide only support (patches, fixes) for versions covered under Premier Support or Extended Support periods. Suppose your EBS, JD Edwards, or Siebel systems are on older releases that have fallen out of Oracle’s support window. In that case, Oracle may insist you upgrade to a currently supported version as part of reinstatement. For instance, Oracle EBS customers on release 12.1 (now in Sustaining Support) might need to upgrade to 12.2 to enjoy full support and updates. Similarly, JD Edwards World customers might be required to move to EnterpriseOne, or Siebel 8x customers may need to apply the latest Innovation Pack updates. These upgrades carry additional costs and efforts (hardware, testing, rework of customizations), so include them in your plan. One 2024 example: a global manufacturer returning to Oracle support for JD Edwards had to budget an extra 6 months, and significant services spend to upgrade from an out-of-support version to the current release before Oracle would offer full support. Factor in the time and cost of upgrades when negotiating your return – you may seek concessions (like extended support fee waivers or assistance) from Oracle to ease this transition.
- Leverage Oracle’s Desire for Cloud or New Sales in Your Negotiation. Oracle’s sales teams are often eager to sell cloud services or additional licenses, and you can use this as leverage to offset reinstatement costs. Oracle sometimes will forgive or discount reinstatement fees if you purchase new licenses or cloud subscriptions as part of the deal. Essentially, Oracle gets new revenue, and in exchange, they may waive some of your back support penalties. For example, in 2023, a Fortune 500 retailer negotiated away a 150% penalty (saving over $1M) by agreeing to a new Oracle Cloud Infrastructure commitment that was valuable to Oracle. If your enterprise is considering Oracle Cloud (OCI) or transitioning some modules to Oracle Fusion Cloud apps, bring that to the table. For instance, Oracle’s Support Rewards program grants credits that reduce on-prem support costs for every dollar spent on OCI. By bundling a cloud move or a license expansion with your support reinstatement, you create a win-win scenario: Oracle hits sales targets, achieving a more palatable cost to return to Oracle support. Be sure any such trade is documented in the contract (e.g., “Oracle waives X in back support fees in consideration of Y purchase”) to avoid confusion later.
- Negotiate the Reinstatement Fee – It’s Not Set in Stone – While Oracle’s policy says 150%, in practice, everything is negotiable. Especially for large enterprises, Oracle reps have the discretion (with approvals) to reduce or even waive the reinstatement penalty portion to win back your business. Approach the negotiation with data: if your calculated back fees + 150% equals $5 million, make the case that this is untenable. You have alternatives (e.g., staying on third-party support or re-platforming). Oracle “never says no to your money,” meaning they would rather take some revenue from you than none. Use that to your advantage. For example, an enterprise in 2025 facing $4M in back fees presented Oracle with a counter-proposal: they would pay $2M now and purchase $1M in new licenses, but the remaining theoretical fees must be waived. Oracle accepted because the customer demonstrated a willingness to spend and a firm stance that the list penalty was a deal-breaker. Ask for the reinstatement fee to be waived or reduced, citing that otherwise, the return on investment for rejoining Oracle support doesn’t make business sense. You might be surprised, Oracle will often come back with a significant reduction, especially at quarter-end when they’re hungry to close deals.
- Time Your Negotiation with Oracle’s Fiscal Calendar – Timing strategies can greatly improve your outcome. Oracle’s fiscal year ends May 31, and each quarter’s end (Aug 31, Nov 30, Feb 28, May 31) is typically a pressure point for sales to hit quota. CIOs have found that engaging Oracle late in a quarter – or better, in Q4 (April-May) – can lead to more flexible offers. For instance, when negotiating a support return in late May 2025, right before Oracle’s year-end, a CIO could secure a 20% discount on back support fees and a price cap on future increases because the sales team was eager to book the deal in Q4. Let Oracle know you have budget approval pending or a hard deadline, and align it with their quarter if possible. On the flip side, avoid starting negotiations right after a quarter closes when sales reps have reset their targets; they may be less flexible early in a new quarter. Use the natural sales urgency to extract concessions like fee waivers, extra support terms (e.g., 15 months for the price of 12), or free advisory services. Negotiating a return to Oracle support is as much about when you negotiate as what you negotiate.
- Mitigate Ongoing Costs: Cap Future Support Increases – Once you’re back on Oracle support, remember that Oracle typically raises support fees ~3–4% annually by default. Over a multi-year period, this compounds significantly. During your reinstatement negotiation, include terms to control future costs. For example, negotiate a cap on annual support fee increases (e.g., 0% increase for 2 years, then max 3% thereafter). Oracle has been amenable to such caps for important customers, but you must ask; it won’t be offered by default. Also, consider negotiating credits or a free support period: if you’re paying a large sum in back fees now, request a supported holiday, e.g., “no support fees for the first 6 months”, or lock the fee for two years at today’s rate. In 2024, a European utility company secured a 2-year fee freeze as part of its support reinstatement on Siebel, which effectively saved them hundreds of thousands, given Oracle’s usual yearly uplifts. The key is to address the long-term Oracle support cost trajectory as part of re-entry. Oracle knows you could again seek alternatives, so use that leverage to insist on sustainable support costs moving forward.
- Consider Partial Reinstatement vs. Phased Approach – If you have multiple Oracle product families (say Oracle Database licenses in addition to EBS), you don’t necessarily have to reinstate everything at once. You might prioritize critical systems first and delay or forego others. Oracle’s matching service level policy operates by “license set,” which usually means product-level grouping. So you could, for example, return EBS to support now (to get vital updates) while keeping some less critical Oracle software on third-party support or self-support a bit longer, as long as they are a different product set. Another strategy some enterprises used in 2023 was a phased return: negotiate terms for one product now with an understanding (even if informal) that another product might be added to support next year under similar terms. This staggered approach can spread costs and test Oracle’s support performance on one product before committing more. However, be cautious – Oracle will push for everything at once, and you must ensure you’re not violating any agreements by keeping some licenses unsupported. It’s essential to get clarity from Oracle on what constitutes a separate license set. A phased approach can ease budget impact and maintain compliance (e.g., JD Edwards remains on third-party support for a year while Siebel and EBS are reinstated with Oracle). Always document any such arrangements to protect against Oracle later claiming you owe back fees on the staggered products when you add them.
- Budget for the “Ripple Effects” of Rejoining Oracle Support, Beyond the obvious fees to Oracle, returning to Oracle support can have ripple costs that CIOs should anticipate. One is the need to catch up on patches and updates: once you get back on support, you’ll want to apply the latest patches Oracle provides for EBS, JD Edwards, or Siebel, especially security fixes that accumulated during your absence. Plan resources for testing and implementing these patches, and potentially bringing systems up to code after a period of limited updates. Another often overlooked cost is renewing skills and tools: your admins might need a refresher on Oracle support processes and tools (like Oracle Support portal usage, patch download procedures, etc.), especially if they relied on a third-party portal before. Training or consulting assistance may be required to transition smoothly. Also, consider contract nuances, for example, if Oracle had changed its licensing or support terms while you were away (Oracle’s support policies are updated periodically), your new agreement might include new clauses (such as cloud-related terms or updated indemnity language). It’s wise to have legal/procurement review the support contract carefully to avoid surprises. In summary, treat the return like a mini project: budget not just for Oracle’s fees but for internal labor, possible system upgrades, testing, training, and any compliance remediation needed as you re-align with Oracle’s support requirements.
- Communicate Value Internally to Justify the Move – CIOs and procurement leads should prepare a clear justification for why returning to Oracle support is worth the cost. After all, you likely moved away to third-party support to save money; now, you need to explain why paying Oracle again (plus penalties) has business merit. Emphasize the value of Oracle’s official support: for instance, access to new regulatory updates for Oracle EBS (critical for finance and HR modules), continuous security patches to meet compliance standards (PCI, HIPAA, etc.), and the ability to upgrade to new versions with Oracle’s help. Highlight any risks you’ve been carrying while off support – e.g., “We have been on a 5-year-old Siebel version with no new patches; security and stability could become an issue.” Also, underscore Oracle’s support as an enabler for future initiatives: perhaps your organization wants to transition to Oracle Cloud apps eventually or needs Oracle’s assistance to integrate new technologies. You can gain executive and stakeholder buy-in by framing the return as strategic (not just a cost). Many CIOs have found success by presenting side-by-side scenarios: continuing without Oracle vs. returning to Oracle support, including the long-term implications. The argument that Oracle’s roadmap and official backing will frequently reduce risk and support digital transformation can sway decision-makers, even if the short-term cost is higher.
- Use Benchmarks and Peer Deals from 2023–2025. When negotiating, come armed with knowledge of recent enterprise deal benchmarks. Oracle does not publish discounts or standard reinstatement deals, but there are industry reports and advisors (from 2023–2025) that shed light on what others have achieved. Cite examples (anonymized is fine) to your Oracle rep, such as: “We are aware of companies that returned Oracle support last year who only paid two years of back maintenance instead of five.” For instance, Oracle advisory firms noted cases in 2023 where Oracle accepted 50% of the accumulated back fees as a compromise to win the customer back. Another benchmark: some large EBS customers in 2025 secured multi-year support discounts in the 15–20% range off the list as part of their reinstatement. By referencing these, you signal to Oracle that you have market insight and leverage. It also establishes fairness – if Oracle granted concessions to others, why not you? While you must be careful not to disclose confidential info, using generalized benchmarks (from analysts or public case studies) is a smart tactic. Oracle’s sales team is more likely to reach into their “special approvals” for you when they know you’re informed about a reasonable outcome. Leverage sources like Oracle negotiation whitepapers, user group surveys, or consulting reports from 2023–2024 that discuss support deals – these are valuable for setting expectation levels during talks.
- Focus Negotiations on Oracle’s Terms, Not Third-Party Comparisons. Focus on Oracle’s value proposition and terms in your discussions. Oracle reps may attempt to disparage third-party support providers or question why you left. Rather than debating the past, steer the conversation to concrete terms of your return. For example, discuss the scope of support (ensure it includes the specific modules of EBS or customizations you rely on), any Oracle-provided supportability reviews or assistance, and clarity on support levels (Premier vs Extended Support). Do not mention the third party by name or get into comparisons, as this can sidetrack negotiations. Instead, use the fact that you had an alternative as quite a leverage: Oracle knows you could have stayed with that alternative, so they should make it attractive to switch back. While cost is important, the decision will be made on the overall package Oracle can offer, support quality, future roadmap, and price combined. By keeping the discussion professional and Oracle-centric, you set a collaborative tone. In one 2023 negotiation, a CIO politely declined to discuss the shortcomings of the third-party provider and instead presented a list of expectations from Oracle (cost targets, support responsiveness SLAs, etc.). This approach kept Oracle’s team focused on meeting those requirements rather than dwelling on past choices. Remember, Oracle wants to recapture your support business; keep them focused on how to make that happen in terms that work for you.
- Document Everything and Secure Contractual Protections – As you finalize the agreement to return to Oracle support, ensure all negotiated points are written into the contract or support order. Oracle’s standard contracts will contain the back support fees and reinstatement charges – double-check that any agreed waivers or discounts are reflected as line items or exhibits. If Oracle promised future price protections (e.g., capped increase, credit from cloud spend, etc.), ensure those appear in the agreement (either in the ordering document or an addendum). It is also wise to include language about what happens to any prior custom fixes or support artifacts from your third-party era. While Oracle won’t support third-party patches, clarify that rejoining Oracle support does not void your license rights or customizations.Additionally, consider adding a clause that Oracle will not audit your deployment for past period compliance issues as long as you are now in compliance moving forward; this can protect you from an immediate audit fishing expedition. In 2025, some savvy customers obtained written assurance that Oracle would not pursue compliance penalties when they were off support (essentially a clean slate) once the new support contract was in effect. Lastly, keep records of all communications and proposals during the negotiation. If there are any discrepancies later (for example, an Oracle invoice tries to charge an amount that was supposed to be waived), your documentation and a well-crafted contract will be your defense.
Example Cost Comparison: Reinstatement vs. New License
To illustrate the cost dynamics of returning to Oracle support, consider a hypothetical Oracle EBS license with an annual support fee of $200,000 (roughly corresponding to a $1 million license upfront).
The table below compares the estimated cost of reinstating support after a lapse vs. purchasing a new license for different lengths of time of support:
| Years off Support | Back Support Fees Owed | 150% Reinstatement Penalty | Total Cost to Reinstate (including current year) | Cost to Buy New License (with first-year support) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | $200,000 | $300,000 | $700,000 (back fees + penalty + next year support) | ~$1,100,000 (new license $900k + $200k support) |
| 3 years | $600,000 | $900,000 | $1,700,000 (back fees + penalty + next year support) | ~$1,100,000 (new license $900k + $200k support) |
| 5 years | $1,000,000 | $1,500,000 | $2,700,000 (back fees + penalty + next year support) | ~$1,100,000 (new license $900k + $200k support) |
In this scenario, a short gap (1 year off) makes reinstating cheaper than buying new, but a long gap (5 years) makes buying new licenses far more economical.
Many enterprises find that after ~2–3 years of Oracle support, the “rejoin” cost exceeds the price of a new license contract, which becomes a key negotiation point.
Oracle is aware of this and may prefer to offer you a new license deal (or a cloud subscription) rather than lose you entirely due to exorbitant bank fees.
Use analyses like this to inform your strategy and to show Oracle’s team that you have a financially viable alternative if they don’t flex on the support penalties.
Recommendations
- Perform a License & Usage Audit: Before engaging Oracle, inventory all Oracle EBS, JD Edwards, and Siebel licenses and ensure compliance. Resolve any unlicensed usage to avoid audit traps.
- Drop Unneeded Licenses: Terminate support (and use) for any modules or licenses you no longer require. Reducing your license footprint lowers ongoing fees and back-fee calculations.
- Quantify and Negotiate Fees: Calculate your back support and reinstatement costs in detail. Use this data to negotiate – request reductions or waivers of the 150% penalty, especially if the raw sum makes the return financially unviable.
- Leverage New Investments: If considering Oracle Cloud or additional modules, use that as leverage. Oracle may offset support fees if you commit to new licenses or cloud subscriptions as part of the deal.
- Plan for Required Upgrades: Identify any required software upgrades (e.g., to EBS 12.2 or the latest Siebel patch set) and include those in your timeline and budget. If an upgrade is mandatory, negotiate for Oracle to assist or waive extended support fees.
- Time Your Deal: Aim to negotiate near Oracle’s quarter/year-end. You’ll likely get a more flexible offer when Oracle is eager to close deals. Avoid long lulls in communication; maintain momentum toward those calendar targets.
- Secure Future Protections: Add caps on annual support increases and any special terms (credits, free periods) to the contract. Ensure the contract reflects every concession (fee waivers, support terms) you negotiated to protect your interests long-term.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: Why must we pay back support fees when returning to Oracle support?
A: Oracle’s policies require that if you let support lapse, you must pay for the period you were off support as a condition of rejoining. They essentially treat it as if you had kept supporting the whole time. This means paying all the annual fees for the years without support, plus a hefty reinstatement fee (often 150% of those lapsed fees as a penalty). It’s Oracle’s way of enforcing continuity and discouraging customers from leaving in the first place.
Q: Can we negotiate or avoid the 150% reinstatement fee?
A: Yes – the 150% penalty is Oracle’s starting point, but it can be negotiated. Oracle sales reps have given discounts or even waived the reinstatement fee in some deals, especially if the customer is making a new purchase or threatening not to return. You can often reduce this fee with a strong business case and timing leverage. In fact, many enterprises from 2023 to 2025 reported that Oracle was willing to cut the penalty to significantly win back their support business.
Q: Is buying new Oracle licenses cheaper than paying for support?
A: It can be. You should compare the two options. If you’ve only been off support a short time (say 1 year), paying back support plus the penalty will likely cost less than buying new licenses. But if you’ve been off for years, the back fees + 150% can exceed a new license deal. For example, after ~3–5 years off, the cost to reinstate often far surpasses the cost of buying a new license and starting support fresh. Oracle knows this, so use a cost comparison to your advantage – it might prompt Oracle to offer a more reasonable reinstatement quote or a new license offer.
Q: Will Oracle audit our usage when we request to return to support?
A: It’s very possible. Oracle License Management Services (LMS) could review your deployments as part of the process, especially since you’ve been off official support (they may suspect untracked usage). This is why preparation is key: do an internal audit first and address any compliance issues proactively. Suppose you enter negotiations with a clear understanding of your license position (and ideally documentation to show you’re compliant). In that case, you reduce the risk of a nasty surprise audit during or immediately after reinstatement.
Q: What if we used a third-party support provider – does that violate our Oracle license agreement?
A: Simply using a third-party support vendor (like forgoing Oracle’s support and getting fixes from another provider) typically does not violate the license agreement; your Oracle licenses are perpetual. However, you were not entitled to Oracle’s updates or new versions while off support. As you return, Oracle might require confirmation that you didn’t apply Oracle patches while unsupported (which you wouldn’t have access to anyway). Oracle’s contract terms forbid downloading patches without an active support contract, but they don’t perpetually prohibit the use of the software. So, returning to Oracle support is legally straightforward as long as you properly use your licenses. Ensure you didn’t use more licenses or different features than you had rights to during the gap (that would be a compliance issue to resolve).
Q: Should we upgrade our software before Oracle supports us again?
A: It depends on your version. Oracle will only support versions in Premier or Extended Support (unless you pay extra for sustaining support, which only gives phone support and no new fixes). If your EBS/JD Edwards/Siebel version is very old or recently went out of support, Oracle may say you must upgrade to a newer release to be eligible for full support. In some cases, Oracle might offer limited support until you upgrade (or offer to sell extended support if available). It’s important to discuss this with Oracle upfront. Many customers returning after years had to plan an upgrade project in parallel, for example, moving an EBS 12.1 system to 12.2. Oracle might assist with guidance, but the effort and cost are on you. Be sure to factor that in.
Q: What are some tactics Oracle sales might use during negotiations?
A: Oracle’s sales teams are known for certain pressure tactics. They might create a sense of urgency (“prices go up next quarter” or “we have an executive approval that expires this week”), often tied to quarter-end timing. They may also hint at a compliance review or say, “If you don’t return to support, we can’t guarantee license compliance in the future.” Stay calm and stick to your analysis. Another tactic is bundling – Oracle might propose that you buy some cloud services or additional products as part of the deal (which, as we discussed, can work in your favor if you need those). They could also present very high initial quotes to anchor the discussion, expecting to negotiate down. The best counter to Oracle’s tactics is preparation and knowing your walk-away point. Also, involve your procurement or licensing advisor to push back on any dubious claims. Remember, Oracle wants you back – any tactic ultimately gets you to sign, so use that knowledge to keep the negotiation on terms you’re comfortable with.
Q: How can we mitigate the risk of this happening again (needing to leave or pay big penalties)?
A: Implement a longer-term vendor management strategy once you’re back on Oracle support. Negotiate multi-year caps on support cost increases now so fees remain predictable. Regularly assess your usage so you’re not overpaying on support for unused licenses (you can drop unused licenses at annual renewal with proper notice to avoid waste). Stay informed on Oracle’s product roadmap – for example, if Oracle were to end support for your version in the future, you’d want to plan upgrades early or consider alternatives proactively. Some companies set aside a contingency fund for license compliance, which can cover future support reinstatement if needed. Essentially, treat Oracle as a strategic vendor: conduct yearly business reviews with them, ensure you’re getting value (e.g., using Oracle’s support resources, taking advantage of patches/new features), and keep an eye on the third-party support market as a benchmark. This way, you won’t be caught in a last-minute scramble; you’ll have options and leverage whether you stick with Oracle.
Q: What if we decide not to return to Oracle support?
A: You certainly have that option – many companies stay on third-party support or self-support indefinitely. The trade-off is that you won’t receive new patches or official fixes from Oracle. Over time, that could expose you to security vulnerabilities or missing regulatory updates (for example, tax updates in EBS or payroll changes in JD Edwards). Also, if you ever need to upgrade to a new Oracle version, you’d have to re-enroll in support or re-license at that time, potentially at an even higher cost. Additionally, running unsupported software can be a compliance risk in regulated industries and might cause issues like cybersecurity insurance or audits. Some organizations use the savings from third-party support to fund migrating off Oracle to another system. It could make sense if that’s your plan and it’s imminent. But suppose you intend to use your Oracle system for the foreseeable future and need it to be secure and up-to-date. In that case, eventually rejoining Oracle support (or moving to Oracle’s cloud SaaS) may be unavoidable. It comes down to a cost-risk analysis: the cost of Oracle support versus the risks of not having it. This article’s insights can help you minimize that cost if and when you return.
