Oracle Support and Maintenance Agreements:
- Provide access to technical support, updates, and patches.
- Include Premier, Extended, and Sustaining Support options.
- Governed by Oracle’s repricing and matching service levels policies.
- Essential for maintaining Oracle software performance and security.
- Strategies exist to optimize support costs.
Oracle Support and Maintenance Agreements
Oracle’s support and maintenance agreements ensure the smooth operation, security, and optimal performance of Oracle software deployments.
These agreements provide customers access to technical support, software updates, patches, and other resources necessary to maintain their Oracle environment effectively.
This article explores the various types of Oracle support and maintenance agreements, key Oracle support policies, and their impact on managing and potentially reducing support costs.
Types of Support and Maintenance Agreements
Oracle offers several types of support and maintenance agreements tailored to meet customers’ specific needs and the lifecycle stage of their Oracle products. The main types include:
1. Premier Support
Premier Support is Oracle’s standard level of support provided for its software products. This agreement includes:
- 24/7 access to Oracle’s technical support team
- Software updates, patches, and bug fixes
- Access to the online knowledge base and support tools
- Proactive support resources, such as My Oracle Support
- Assistance with service requests and incident resolution
Premier Support is typically available five years from the general availability date of a product release and is included with the initial software license purchase.
2. Extended Support
Extended Support is an optional service that continues access to updates and support for select Oracle products after Premier Support ends. For an additional fee, typically extending three years beyond Premier Support, customers receive:
- Continued access to software updates, patches, and critical bug fixes
- 24/7 access to Oracle’s technical support team
- Assistance with service requests and incident resolution
- Access to the online knowledge base and support tools
Extended Support is ideal for customers not ready to upgrade to a newer product release but still require ongoing support and updates.
3. Sustaining Support
Sustaining Support is a limited option for Oracle products no longer covered by Premier or Extended Support.
This agreement provides:
- Access to existing patches, bug fixes, and critical patch updates created during Premier and Extended Support periods
- Access to the online knowledge base and support tools
- Technical support for problem diagnosis and resolution
While Sustaining Support does not include new updates, patches, or certifications, it allows customers to continue receiving some level of support for older Oracle products.
Read about how to manage Oracle licensing agreements in mergers and acquisitions.
Oracle Support Policies and Their Impact on Customers
Oracle’s support policies govern how support agreements are managed and significantly impact customers’ ability to reduce support costs. Two critical policies to consider are the repricing and matching service levels policies.
1. Repricing Policy
Oracle’s repricing policy, or the “repricing event,” occurs when customers reduce their license count or support level for a subset of licenses within a product family. In such cases, Oracle recalculates the support fees for the remaining licenses based on the current list price, often resulting in a higher unit price for support.
Example:
Suppose a customer with 100 licenses of an Oracle product terminates support for 50 licenses. In that case, Oracle will reprice the support fees for the remaining 50 licenses based on the current list price, potentially negating any expected savings.
To avoid a repricing event, customers should terminate support for an entire product family or maintain the same support level for all licenses within a product family.
2. Matching Service Levels Policy
Oracle’s matching service levels policy requires customers to maintain the same level of support—Premier, Extended, or Sustaining—for all licenses within a product family. This policy prevents customers from selectively supporting some licenses while leaving others unsupported.
Example:
If a customer wants to reduce costs by moving some Oracle Database Enterprise Edition licenses to a lower support level, they must move all licenses to the new level. They cannot mix and match support levels within a product family.
This policy limits flexibility in managing support costs, as customers cannot selectively reduce support for unused or less critical licenses within a product family.
Strategies for Optimizing Oracle Support Costs
Despite the limitations imposed by Oracle’s support policies, customers can explore several strategies to optimize their support costs:
1. Conduct a Thorough License Review
Before changing Oracle support agreements, customers should comprehensively review their licensed products, usage, and business requirements. This review helps identify unused or underutilized licenses that may be candidates for support reduction or termination.
2. Evaluate Alternative Support Options
Customers can explore alternative support options, such as third-party support providers, which may offer more flexible and cost-effective solutions. These providers often have more lenient policies regarding license reductions and can support older product versions no longer covered by Oracle’s Premier or Extended Support.
3. Negotiate with Oracle
Engaging with Oracle licensing experts can help customers negotiate more favorable support terms, such as discounts or waived repricing events. This approach is particularly effective for larger customers with significant Oracle investments and a strong relationship with Oracle.
4. Plan for Long-Term Support Needs
It is crucial to develop a long-term support strategy that aligns with business objectives and the IT roadmap. This strategy might include planning for product upgrades, consolidating licenses, or transitioning to cloud-based solutions to optimize support costs over time.
Oracle Support and Maintenance Agreements FAQ
What are Oracle Support and Maintenance Agreements?
These agreements provide access to Oracle’s technical support, software updates, patches, and resources to maintain software performance and security.
What is Premier Support?
Premier Support is the standard support level, offering 24/7 technical assistance, updates, patches, and access to Oracle’s knowledge base for five years after a product’s release.
What is Extended Support?
Extended Support is an optional service that, for an additional fee, continues the benefits of Premier Support. It typically extends coverage for three more years after Premier Support ends.
What is Sustaining Support?
Sustaining Support offers limited support for products no longer covered by Premier or Extended Support, providing access to existing patches, bug fixes, and knowledge base articles.
What is Oracle’s repricing policy?
Oracle’s repricing policy recalculates support fees at a higher unit price when customers reduce their license count or support level for a subset of licenses.
How does the matching service levels policy work?
This policy requires maintaining the same support level (Premier, Extended, or Sustaining) for all licenses within a product family, preventing selective support reductions.
Can customers negotiate Oracle Support terms?
Customers can negotiate support terms, including discounts or waived repricing events, particularly if they have significant Oracle investments and a strong relationship with the company.
What alternative support options are available?
Third-party support providers offer more flexible and cost-effective options, often supporting older product versions no longer covered by Oracle’s standard support.
Why conduct a license review before adjusting support?
A thorough review helps identify unused or underutilized licenses that can be considered for support reduction or termination, optimizing costs.
How can customers avoid Oracle’s repricing event?
To avoid repricing, customers must terminate support for an entire product family or maintain the same support level for all licenses within that family.
What should customers consider when planning long-term support needs?
Customers should align their support strategy with business objectives and the IT roadmap, planning for upgrades, license consolidation, or transitions to cloud-based solutions.
What is included in Oracle’s technical support?
Oracle’s technical support includes 24/7 assistance with service requests, incident resolution, and access to various resources, such as updates, patches, and the online knowledge base.
Can customers mix support levels within a product family?
No, Oracle’s matching service levels policy requires all licenses within a product family to have the same support level, limiting flexibility in cost management.
What happens if a product moves to Sustaining Support?
Once a product is under Sustaining Support, customers lose access to new updates and patches but retain access to existing fixes and technical support for problem resolution.
How can long-term support strategies reduce costs?
Customers can reduce long-term support costs by planning for upgrades, evaluating third-party support, and considering hybrid solutions while maintaining necessary coverage.
Read about our Oracle License Management Services.
