November 04, 2025
Understanding SAP ECC Deadlines: What 2025 and 2027 Mean for Your Business
The end of standard maintenance for SAP ECC in 2027 is no longer something businesses can afford to ignore. By that point, organizations still running ECC will face increased support costs under SAP’s extended maintenance terms. At the time of creating this blog the % uplift was not yet leased by SAP, but in the past we have seen uplifts in the 2%-range.
But there’s an even more immediate and often overlooked milestone: In December 2025, the compatibility mode that enables classic ECC functionality to operate within SAP S/4HANA on-premise systems is set to expire for most customers.
This isn’t just a technical sunset. For many businesses, compatibility mode has acted as a critical enabler allowing them to move into SAP S/4HANA without being forced into immediate, large-scale process reengineering. It created a practical way to separate system conversion from business transformation, giving IT and business leaders the breathing room to modernize on their own timelines.
When this capability disappears at the end of 2025, that flexibility goes with it. Organizations still on-premise may be left facing a more complex migration, one that combines technical change and business process redesign in a single, high-stakes move.
Fortunately, there’s a path forward that maintains that flexibility. By moving to SAP Cloud ERP Private Edition, businesses can extend compatibility mode usage until 2030, gaining five additional years to plan and execute transformation in a more controlled, strategic manner.
Key SAP deadlines for SAP ECC customers
Now, let us cut through the noise and give you the facts. With both 2025 and 2027 deadlines fast approaching, it's important to clearly understand what’s changing and what your options are.
December 2025: end of compatibility mode
SAP provides a limited use right to SAP S/4HANA on-premise customers to run certain classic SAP ERP solutions on their SAP S/4HANA installation. This use right serves as a bridge to customers from ECC to S/4 HANA functionality and expires on Dec 31, 2025 in general (See SAP note 2269324 for details).
A few limited exceptions exist where CP usage rights are extended:
- Extended 2030 deadline for specific areas: Extended usage rights until December 31, 2030, apply to a small set of Compatibility Packs, such as those related to Customer Service (CS), Transportation (LE-TRA), and specific Production Planning in Process Industry (PP-PI) items.
- RISE with SAP customers: Customers under a RISE with SAP or SAP Cloud ERP Private Edition agreement will retain CP usage rights until December 31, 2030, as part of their cloud subscription.
For full details, see SAP Note 2269324.
December 2027 - end of mainstream maintenance
In general, the SAP software has 3 maintenance phases:
- Mainstream Maintenance: The initial support period following a software release, which includes standard support according to the support agreement.
- Extended Maintenance: An optional, under additional fee period that provides extra time to transition to new SAP solutions. It includes security patches, limited legal updates, and technical support, but not new features or enhancements.
- Customer-Specific Maintenance: Maintenance for a specific release after it ends mainstream or extended maintenance. This is for releases that no longer receive general updates and are supported only to meet specific customer requirements.
SAP ERP 6.0 Enhancement Packages (EHP) 0 to 5 is available until the end of 2025, while EHP 6 to 8 have mainstream maintenance until the end of 2027. Extended maintenance for EHP 6 to 8 is available until the end of 2030 for an additional fee.
By 2027, staying on older systems becomes increasingly expensive and increasingly restrictive.
Two common scenarios and how to act
Depending on where your organization is today, the next step may differ, but inaction is no longer an option. SEIDOR works closely with organizations in both common scenarios:
Scenario 1: you're still on SAP ECC
SEIDOR can help you design and execute a migration to S/4HANA, delivered via SAP Cloud ERP Private Edition. This approach gives you access to:
- Extended compatibility usage rights until 2030
- SAP’s latest AI-driven features and tools
- A flexible, scalable foundation for future transformation
We work with trusted technology partners and use proven, AI-powered accelerators to speed up both Brownfield (technical conversion) and Bluefield (hybrid transformation) approaches.
Scenario 2: you're on S/4HANA On-Premise
If you’ve already made the move to S/4HANA but stayed on-premise, you may still be relying on Compatibility Packs and at risk of losing them in 2025.
In this case, SEIDOR can support a Lift-and-Shift migration to SAP Cloud ERP Private Edition, ensuring:
- Continued access to critical legacy processes
- Compliance with SAP's evolving licensing terms
- Readiness for future innovations and updates
Key dates to remember
Postponing your migration not only increases support costs, it limits your strategic flexibility. The ability to phase transformation gradually is disappearing. Once compatibility mode ends in 2025, your organization will need to move faster and under more pressure.
Migrating to SAP Cloud ERP now keeps your options open and puts you on a platform built for long-term growth
| Deadline | Implication |
| Dec 31,2025 | Compatibility Packs expire for most S/4HANA on-premise customers |
| Dec 31,2027 | End of mainstream maintenance for ECC EHP 6–8 |
| Dec 31,2030 | End of extended maintenance (for EHP 6–8, with fee); CP usage rights end for cloud customers |
Plan ahead with SEIDOR
SEIDOR is helping SAP customers across industries navigate this moment with clarity and confidence. Whether you need to assess your readiness, build a migration roadmap, or execute a full SAP S/4HANA transformation, our experts are ready to guide the way.
Let’s talk now so you’re not scrambling later.
Request your free assessment
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