An independent advisory comparing Rimini Street and Spinnaker Support — the two leading Oracle third-party support providers. Cost savings, service quality, legal considerations, and transition strategies for CIOs and sourcing leaders.
Oracle's standard support typically costs 22% of the licence price annually, with annual increases of approximately 4–8%. Over time, these compounding increases create a significant and growing cost burden — often exceeding the original licence investment within five years.
Third-party support providers charge roughly half that amount and often keep fees flat with no annual uplift. But the appeal goes beyond cost alone: independent support allows companies to extend the life of stable Oracle systems without forced upgrades, receive more personalised service from dedicated veteran engineers, and even receive support for customisations and older versions that Oracle no longer covers.
Third-party support is now a mainstream strategy used by thousands of enterprises globally. Gartner research confirms average savings of around 50% on annual support costs. The decision isn't just about cost — it's about gaining control over your upgrade timeline, receiving support for customisations Oracle won't touch, and freeing budget for strategic initiatives.
Rimini Street (founded in 2005) is the largest independent Oracle support provider. The firm supports virtually all Oracle products — from E-Business Suite, PeopleSoft, and JD Edwards to Oracle Database and middleware — and typically reduces support fees by about 50%.
Rimini offers 24/7 global support with veteran engineers dedicated to each client. After an early legal dispute with Oracle (Oracle v. Rimini Street), Rimini modified its processes to ensure full licence compliance, allowing customers to use its service without legal risk. Courts have affirmed that Oracle customers have the right to choose independent support providers.
Spinnaker Support (founded in 2008) is another top provider, known for its flexible and customer-centric approach. It supports all major Oracle systems and likewise saves clients around 50% on support costs.
Spinnaker is praised for high-touch service — dedicated engineers and rapid response times — and for willingness to tailor contract terms. The firm also provides its own security patches and tax/regulatory updates, and offers audit support to keep clients secure and compliant outside Oracle's official support.
| Aspect | Oracle Support | Third-Party Support (Rimini / Spinnaker) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Cost | ~22% of licence per year (plus ~4–8% annual increase) | ~50% of Oracle's fee; minimal or no annual increase |
| Support Scope | Standard features only; no support for custom code or modifications | Includes customisations, integrations, and out-of-support versions |
| Updates & Upgrades | Access to Oracle's official patches, security fixes, and new version releases | No Oracle patches or new releases; provider delivers own fixes and workarounds |
| Support Duration | Limited — support ends unless you pay for Extended Support or upgrade | Indefinite — supports your Oracle version as long as you need |
| Service Model | Tiered ticket system; standard SLAs; won't troubleshoot custom code | Dedicated named engineers; faster response; supports full environment including customisations |
| Upgrade Path | Full access to new versions and releases | No new versions; must return to Oracle support (with back-fees) to upgrade |
| Security Updates | Quarterly Critical Patch Updates (CPUs) | Provider-developed "virtual patches" and security workarounds |
Many enterprises find the trade-off acceptable — especially if their Oracle environment is stable and they don't need immediate access to new features. Third-party support works best for mature, stable systems where the priority is operational continuity and cost control rather than chasing Oracle's latest release cycle.
| # | Consideration | Risk Level | What to Do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Licence Compliance | 🟡 Medium | It's legal to use third-party support, but stay within Oracle licence terms. Oracle may audit customers who leave its support — work with your provider to remain audit-ready and compliant. |
| 2 | Loss of Official Patches | 🔴 High | After leaving Oracle, you stop getting official patches. Ensure your provider can promptly deliver critical bug fixes and security updates — particularly crucial for meeting security and regulatory requirements. |
| 3 | Future Upgrade Costs | 🔴 High | If you may need a new Oracle version later, plan for the cost of rejoining Oracle support. Oracle typically charges back-fees or penalties. Many companies stay on third-party support until they migrate to a different platform or cloud solution. |
| 4 | Contract Terms | 🟡 Medium | Scrutinise the contract. Ensure coverage, SLAs, and fees are clearly defined. Aim for flexibility (adjust or exit annually) so you're not over-committed. Have legal or procurement experts review terms before signing. |
| 5 | Oracle Retention Tactics | 🟡 Medium | Oracle will likely counter with discounts or pressure to retain your business. A 15% Oracle discount rarely matches the ~50% third-party savings. Use third-party quotes as negotiation leverage regardless. |
Returning to Oracle support is expensive. If you leave Oracle support and later need to return, Oracle will typically require payment of all back-support fees for the period you were off support, plus a reinstatement penalty (often 150% of the annual fee). This can completely offset years of savings. Plan your long-term strategy before switching — most successful transitions are part of a broader move to cloud or platform retirement, not a temporary cost measure.
Redress Compliance explains how to evaluate and transition to third-party Oracle support safely.
| # | Recommendation | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start early. Begin evaluating third-party support options well in advance of your Oracle support renewal date. This ensures time to assess providers and manage the transition without rushing. | 🔴 Critical |
| 2 | Inventory and analyse. Document all your Oracle systems and their support costs to identify where third-party support would have the biggest impact. Use this to estimate savings and build a strong business case. | 🔴 Critical |
| 3 | Evaluate providers thoroughly. Engage both Rimini Street and Spinnaker Support. Receive detailed proposals and consult with reference customers to compare service quality, expertise, and responsiveness. | 🔴 Critical |
| 4 | Negotiate key terms. Don't accept the first offer. Negotiate multi-year discounts, caps on fee increases, and flexibility to scale or cancel services if you retire systems. | 🟡 High |
| 5 | Plan the transition carefully. Time the switch with your Oracle support renewal. Before the cutover, download any necessary Oracle resources and train your IT staff on the new support process. | 🟡 High |
| 6 | Engage independent advisory. Work with an independent licensing advisor (like Redress Compliance) who has no commercial relationship with either third-party provider or Oracle, ensuring unbiased guidance. | 🔴 Critical |
Watch out for Oracle auto-renewal traps. Oracle support contracts typically auto-renew unless cancelled within a specific notice period (often 30–90 days before renewal). Missing this window means you're locked in for another year. Calendar your cancellation deadline well in advance and confirm cancellation in writing.
Redress Compliance has no commercial relationship with any third-party support provider or with Oracle. Our advisory is 100% independent — we help you evaluate, negotiate, and transition with confidence.
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Fredrik Filipsson is the co-founder of Redress Compliance, a leading independent advisory firm specialising in Oracle, Microsoft, SAP, IBM, and Salesforce licensing. With over 20 years of experience in software licensing and contract negotiations, Fredrik has helped hundreds of organisations — including numerous Fortune 500 companies — optimise costs, avoid compliance risks, and secure favourable terms. Fredrik built his expertise over two decades working directly for IBM, SAP, and Oracle.