Most Oracle product lines are under the Software Technical Support Policies where clients need to be properly licensed to be fully covered. Technical support is mainly provided for issues that are demonstrable in the supported releases, running unaltered, on a certified hardware, database and operating configuration.
Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) continues to be covered under the Software Technical Support Policies, which require customers to maintain proper licensing. As of 2024, Oracle remains committed to delivering comprehensive support options that ensure businesses using EBS can operate smoothly. Oracle has extended its support roadmap for EBS through 2035 and beyond, reinforcing its long-term commitment to Oracle EBS.
Oracle Support Levels
Support fees for Oracle EBS are charged on an annual basis and vary based on the level of support and the volume of licenses. Oracle continues to offer three levels of support: Premier Support, Extended Support, and Sustaining Support.
- Premier Support remains the most comprehensive level, offering continuous software updates, security patches, and full support for customers.
- Extended Support is available after Premier Support expires, generally for an additional 3 years, though it requires additional fees and comes with certain limitations.
- Sustaining Support is an option for customers who choose not to upgrade, but it offers only limited services and lacks critical updates and security fixes.
Oracle has also maintained pricing transparency through its policies, continuing the practice of providing predictable support fees for customers over the long term. The prices for support may adjust depending on factors such as the scope of the services or hardware configurations. Premier Support has been extended through 2035 for Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) 12.2, ensuring long-term stability for businesses using this version.
Premier Support (2035 Extension)
Premier Support is the most comprehensive form of support that protects your Oracle EBS with essential software updates, new releases, proactive support tools, 24/7 services to help mitigate risks, reduce costs, and gain competitive advantage. This in conjunction with the ongoing delivery of fixes, updates, and security patches.
As of 2024, Oracle Premier Support still provides:
- Continuous innovation through major and minor updates.
- Critical patch updates and security alerts.
- New certifications for third-party products.
- Regulatory updates (tax, legal, etc.).
- 24/7 support and access to Oracle’s customer support systems.
What’s new for 2024? Oracle has integrated more cloud-native tools into its Premier Support package. This includes expanded support for hybrid cloud environments, where businesses might be running part of their infrastructure on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) while maintaining EBS on-premises. There’s also a greater focus on cybersecurity at all levels of Oracle’s tech stack, driven by increasing threats in 2024.
Extended Support
Extended Support is available for Oracle EBS 12.1.3, helping customers who haven’t yet upgraded to 12.2. Oracle strongly recommends upgrading to 12.2 due to the Continuous Innovation model, which offers regular updates without forcing major upgrades.
Extended Support remains available for three years after Premier Support expiration, although some key services such as third-party certifications and certain updates (especially related to cybersecurity) are not covered. In 2024, Oracle emphasizes the importance of upgrading to supported versions, particularly with growing regulatory requirements and system vulnerabilities that older versions may not be able to handle.
Sustaining Support
Oracle continues to offer Sustaining Support, but 2024 comes with the same set of limitations, including the lack of:
- New updates, fixes, security alerts and critical patch updates.
- Certifications for third-party products or new regulatory updates.
- New tax, legal, and regulatory updates.
- New upgrade scripts.
- Critical fixes and workarounds for new product issues resulting in Severity 1 and 2 Service Requests
This support is generally not recommended for businesses that need to maintain competitive and secure systems.
Additional EBS Support Services for Purchase
Market Driven Support
Market Driven Support is Oracle’s offering delivered by Oracle Customer Success Services (CSS) which has been extended to cover Oracle 12.1.3, providing some essential updates and support for businesses that are still transitioning to 12.2. However, it comes with significant limitations, such as a lack of middleware integrations and certain architectural changes.
Keep in mind that Market Driven Support only mitigates specific support gaps but it’s inherently insufficient and can expose your instance to added costs and security vulnerabilities..
These are the limitations, restrictions, and exclusions of Market Driven Support:
- No Platinum services
- No access to limitless tax, legal, and regulatory updates
- No middleware and integrations
- No access to third party product certifications
- No architectural changes
- EBS product exclusions
- Payroll country limitations
New for 2024: Market Driven Support (MDS) Expansions
Oracle’s Market Driven Support has evolved in 2024 to cover more products and extended periods for select EBS versions. While MDS still fills the gaps for products that have transitioned to Sustaining Support, the service remains limited. Key changes include:
- MDS for Oracle EBS 12.1.3: MDS has been extended for customers still on version 12.1.3, providing critical fixes, security patches, and tax/legal updates, giving businesses more time to upgrade to version 12.2 or later.
- Enhanced customization support: Oracle has begun offering limited support for customized EBS environments under MDS, although this comes at a higher cost.
MDS, however, still lacks comprehensive features such as:
- Unlimited tax, legal, and regulatory updates.
- Middleware and third-party product certification support.
Businesses using Oracle EBS are strongly encouraged to upgrade to version 12.2 or move to Oracle Cloud Applications to take full advantage of Oracle’s future-proof support framework.
For instance, MDS is offered for Oracle Database version 11gR2. Oracle Database 11g Release 2 moved into Sustaining Support back in 2022 and it’s highly recommended that clients upgrade to Database 19c to take advantage of the innovation, optimization, and reliability that release 12.2 provides.
What to Consider in 2024
New Features for EBS 12.2.14 (Released in 2024):
The latest Oracle EBS 12.2.14 update brings new enhancements to key modules like Cash Management Command Center, Lease Accounting, and Supply Chain Management (SCM), focusing on user experience improvements and enhanced customization.
With Oracle’s commitment to support and innovation through 2035, businesses using Oracle EBS can rely on a stable, well-supported environment. However, to take full advantage of Oracle’s offerings and minimize risks, upgrading to Oracle EBS 12.2 or moving to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is strongly encouraged.