SAP Business Suite 7 will have maintenance until 2027, with optional maintenance until 2030.

The sunsetting of SAP ECC 6.0 is coming up fast, and this time it isn't just a minor technical hiccup. This is a significant milestone that beckons a new era of enterprise resource planning. 

Some of you may be feeling a sense of dread welling up inside you at all of the work this is going to add to your plate.

Yes, SAP ECC 6.0 is approaching its end of life, but consider it an open door to innovation and transformation.

This guide will give you the lowdown on how to survive the transition and come out on the other side in one piece. If you need more support, get in touch with our SAP advisors for a consultation.

10,000 ft. View Of The SAP ECC 6.0 Announcement

SAP's announcements surrounding their maintenance strategies are always pivotal, but provide a reasonable runway for companies to adjust. The recent declaration is no different and marks a significant course for organizations worldwide. 

For ECC 6.0, the mainstream maintenance has already ended on December 31, 2025, for enhancement packs 0 through 5.

Enhancement packs 6 through 8 are supported until December 31, 2027, with optional extended maintenance to December 31, 2030.

Here's where the deadlines actually stand as of September 2026:

• December 31, 2027. Mainstream maintenance ends for SAP ECC 6.0 EPs 6–8. This is the primary SAP ECC end-of-maintenance date most organizations are planning around.
• December 31, 2030. Optional extended maintenance ends. It costs a premium of two percentage points on your maintenance basis and only covers EPs 6–8.
• After 2030. You move into customer-specific maintenance. That means no legal changes and no new support packages, and SAP negotiates the cost with you separately.

Where the market stands right now: As of late 2025, 59% of companies are fully or partially live on SAP S/4HANA, up 13 percentage points from 2024.

That still leaves roughly 4 in 10 surveyed companies with nothing live on S/4HANA. It’s estimated that only 39% of the original 35,000 ECC customers had fully migrated by the end of 2024, and even optimistic projections suggest just over half will have completed their transitions by 2027. 

As of early 2026, 35% of larger enterprises with the most complex landscapes remain in the planning or exploration phases. These are exactly the organizations for whom a rushed migration carries the highest risk.

“The first thing to realize is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Walmart uses SAP in a vastly different way than Magic Leap. Before you start, get clear on your broader mission objectives and technology roadmap for your company. Either internally or with a trusted advisor. From there, working through that exploration, you’ll know the right option to go forward. Either an upgrade, redo from scratch, or pay the crazy high fees to stay maintenance compliant.” 

- Landon Cortenbach - CFO & SAP Advisor @ MSH

SAP ECC Support Timeline at a Glance

Here are the important upcoming dates to remember for the best chance of SAP migration success. 

SAP Transition Dates

How This Affects Different Kinds of Organizations

1. The Greenfield Contenders

These are organizations that are running on older or heavily customized SAP systems. The landscape may be cluttered with legacy processes that no longer serve the business effectively. 

For these companies, opting for a greenfield approach with SAP S/4HANA could represent an opportunity to start anew. While the 18-36 months needed to start afresh and meet the December 31, 2027 deadline have passed, Greenfield contenders have some runway with the optional extended maintenance.

You can streamline operations, integrate innovative practices, and fully exploit the capabilities of the latest SAP offerings, with a guaranteed commitment until 2040. It’s a chance to redefine the business model and set a solid foundation for the future.

For Greenfield Contenders, MSH can provide strategic consulting services to ensure a smooth transition. From talent acquisition to project management expertise, MSH offers the support needed to navigate the complexities of a new implementation.

2. The Upgrade Enthusiasts

These businesses operate on relatively up-to-date and standard SAP environments and are in a strong position to transition to SAP S/4HANA. An upgrade path for them is appealing as it promises enhanced performance, new functionalities, and the advantage of continuity.

It's a step-up approach that can still target the December 31, 2027 ECC end-of-maintenance deadline if you start now, with extended maintenance as your backstop. It also builds on what you've already invested.

MSH excels at helping upgrade enthusiasts by providing the right talent who can facilitate a smooth upgrade. The focus is on ensuring that the transition is not only technically sound but also aligns with the business's strategic objectives. 

3. The Undecided Majority

Many organizations find themselves in the middle ground. They might have a mix of outdated and current systems, custom code, and third-party applications that make the decision less clear. These organizations need a tailored approach, one that considers the unique aspects of their existing systems and the best path forward. Going ahead with ECC’s optional maintenance, with a December 31, 2030 deadline, gives a very short time frame to decide a strategy, instead having to go with whatever option is left.

This is where MSH truly shines. By acting as a strategic advisor, MSH can help the undecided majority assess their current systems, weigh the pros and cons of different approaches, and decide on a course of action that aligns with their long-term goals. 

Here’s How To Prepare

Transitioning to a new ERP system like SAP S/4HANA is a significant undertaking that requires meticulous planning and forethought.  These steps will help you clarify where you fit and get you started on the implementation services you need.

1. Clearly define business objectives and stakeholders 

Before embarking on the transition, you need to establish what your business aims to achieve with the new system. Identify the pain points in the current system, envision the desired outcomes, and engage all relevant stakeholders to align expectations and responsibilities. Stakeholder buy-in is essential for a smooth transition and for driving the project forward effectively.

2. Clearly define project scope and timeline (and budget)

Setting the boundaries for what the project will cover is vital. Understand the functionalities needed, the extent of data migration, and any customizations required. Alongside, a realistic timeline that accommodates all critical milestones should be established. It's equally important to outline the budget, which should factor in not only the direct costs of the implementation but also any ancillary expenses that may arise.

3. Evaluate data quality objectively and prioritize cleanup efforts

Data is the lifeblood of any ERP system. Assessing the quality of the current data objectively can prevent costly issues down the line. It’s imperative to identify areas where data cleanup is needed and prioritize these efforts. Clean data ensures a more efficient transition and a more reliable system post-implementation.

4. Review enterprise-wide technical landscape for implications

Understand the broader technical ecosystem within which the SAP system operates. Get started reviewing hardware, software, and network infrastructures, as well as existing integrations with other systems. A technical landscape review, with our IT technology consultants, helps to anticipate and mitigate any compatibility issues that may arise during the transition.

5. Don’t forget to include a comprehensive change management and communications strategy

Change can be challenging, and an ERP transition is no exception. A comprehensive change management strategy is essential to address the human aspect of the transition. Keep everyone informed and provide ample training to ensure that all users are comfortable and competent with the new system. Effective communication helps to manage expectations and reduce resistance to change.

“Ensure you're approaching this intelligently. Don't limit your planning to just an SAP project if you have critical integrations, like with a third-party logistics partner as an example. Understanding all of the business objectives fully before defining the project's scope is crucial. This comprehensive planning approach will enable more effective internal preparation and ultimately influence budget decisions.” 

- Landon Cortenbach - CFO & SAP Advisor @ MSH

What To Do If You're Already Behind Schedule 

Plenty of organizations are already behind in 2026, and they know it. The options haven't disappeared, but they've narrowed.

Here's how to think through your position.

Choose Your Path Based On Time Available, Not Preference

For organizations that haven't started a structured migration program yet, the window to execute a clean migration, without a runway, has passed. Realistic options come down to two if you plan to stay with SAP.

1. Brownfield (system conversion) is the most common accelerated path. You're converting your existing ECC landscape to S/4HANA (sometimes called an ECC upgrade path), which preserves historical data and configurations. It's faster than greenfield but requires careful custom code remediation, and for most late-starters, it's the default choice.
2. Extended maintenance as a bridge buys time, but at a cost. And it's only available for EPs 6–8. See the FAQ section below for full cost details.

If you are overwhelmed with outdated and disconnected SAP technologies and just can’t choose among these options, consider talking with an enterprise strategy consultant to reset and move forward.

Extended Maintenance: What It Covers And What It Doesn't

If you're on EPs 6–8 and can’t complete a migration by 2027, extended maintenance (2028–2030) gives you a structured bridge. 

• What it covers. Support close to mainstream maintenance for your Business Suite 7 core applications and related add-ons. SAP calls the scope similar, not identical, so check your contract for the gaps.
• What it doesn't cover. Every product. SAP may not offer extended maintenance on everything you run, so confirm coverage product by product.

The price is two percentage points on top of your maintenance basis. If you're on Enterprise Support at 22%, plan for about 24% from 2028 through 2030. It's a useful runway, not a solution.

The Talent Bottleneck Is Already Here

In 2026, shortages of experienced S/4HANA specialists are affecting most migration projects, with demand highest for data migration, finance, testing, and cutover roles.

Basis Technologies' SAP adoption model projects that resource demand peaks around 2027 or 2028 at more than 75% above 2024 levels. The organizations that started early locked in their delivery teams at lower rates. Those entering the market now are competing for what's left.

Engage your partners now, even if your full scope isn't finalized. MSH can help you assess staffing gaps and build out your SAP implementation team quickly, including cloud migration-focused talent.

The Cost Of Waiting

A 2026 ISG survey of more than 200 senior decision-makers found that nearly 60% of SAP migrations run late and over budget. ISG traces most of it to underestimated complexity, scope creep and stretched internal teams, with weak governance behind many of the delays. Every one of those gets worse when you start late. The most expensive migration is the one done in a rush.

Alternative ERP Solutions

The path to digital transformation, particularly regarding ERP solutions, often leads to SAP S/4HANA. The reality of the situation is that, for many companies, alternatives to this robust platform might not measure up, especially when the goal is to harness the full power of a modern ERP system.

For most companies, S/4HANA is the right long-term move. It isn't the only one, and the four paths below show where each fits.

Given the sophistication of the platform and its alignment with various industry best practices, it's often the case that other ERP solutions fall short in comparison, especially for the scenarios described earlier. If you’re skeptical, you can look at it as a fork in the road:

1. Move to SAP S/4HANA

For the majority, transitioning to SAP S/4HANA is a strategic move that promises a competitive edge. It's a future-proof investment that brings agility, efficiency, and growth potential, with SAP's maintenance commitment through 2040. Organizations that choose this path can leverage MSH's expertise to ensure that their journey is marked by success, with access to top-tier talent and strategic guidance every step of the way.

2. Move To S/4HANA In The Cloud With RISE Or GROW

Many ECC customers are moving to a cloud version of S/4HANA instead of running it on their own servers. SAP offers two programs for this, SAP RISE vs. GROW.

• RISE with SAP. Built for existing SAP customers with complex systems. It runs on the private cloud and supports a brownfield conversion, so you can bring current processes and custom code with you.
• GROW with SAP. A preconfigured SaaS version of S/4HANA on the public cloud, aimed at midsize companies new to SAP. It's greenfield only, so you start fresh instead of converting ECC.

If keeping your current processes and custom code matters most, RISE is the cloud path that allows it.

3.  Hire a third party to support SAP ECC 6.0 past the deadline

Companies that wish to keep using SAP ECC 6.0 past the deadline can contact a third-party vendor for support. Choosing this option promises you cost savings, a dedicated engineer  and custom code maintenance.  But you become dependent on that partner’s patches, take on more regulatory risk, and may have to spend more to return to SAP if you want the standard options.

4. Pay SAP Maintenance Fees for Highly Customized Platforms

Some legacy businesses, especially in sectors like oil and gas, may opt to continue operating on their current, highly customized SAP platforms. This choice often comes with significant maintenance fees, but for certain large enterprises, it can be a temporary measure while they strategize on the best way to transition without disrupting critical operations.

SAP FAQS

When does SAP ECC 6.0 support end, and is it one date or several?

Mainstream maintenance ends December 31, 2027 for EPs 6–8, with the option to purchase extended maintenance through 2030 at a premium. After that, only customer-specific maintenance is available. 

What is the difference between mainstream maintenance and extended maintenance for ECC?

Extended maintenance gives you support close to mainstream maintenance for an extra two percentage points on your maintenance basis. It runs from January 1, 2028 through December 31, 2030 and only applies to EPs 6–8. If you skip it, SAP moves you into customer-specific maintenance, which drops legal changes and new support packages.

What happens if you stay on ECC after 2027?

Your ECC system keeps running. If you don't buy extended maintenance, SAP moves you into customer-specific maintenance automatically. You keep paying your current support fee but lose legal changes and new support packages, which raises your security and compliance risk every year you stay.

How long does an ECC to S/4HANA migration take, and can you still finish before the deadline if you start now?

A full migration for a large enterprise usually takes 18 to 36 months. If you're starting now, finishing before December 31, 2027 is unlikely, but extended maintenance through 2030 gives you room for a clean project. Your other routes are a brownfield move to the cloud with RISE with SAP or third-party support for ECC after 2027.

What are your options besides S/4HANA, and when does third-party support make sense?

Instead of S/4HANA, you can hire a third party to support SAP ECC 6.0 past the deadline or pay SAP maintenance fees for a highly customized platform. If you are looking to save maintenance costs, you will want to consider a third-party vendor, like Rimini Street. 

How long will SAP S/4HANA itself be supported?

SAP has committed to maintaining S/4HANA until the end of 2040, with at least one release in mainstream maintenance at all times. Each release has its own earlier end date, so plan for regular upgrades.

Big Takeaway

The transition from SAP ECC 6.0 to SAP S/4HANA is a big moment for any organization with a very tight deadline to decide. Having the right support on hand, including knowledgeable team members, is key to a successful migration. Contact MSH today for a partner to get you through the process and come out the other side with the resources you need for your business to adapt.