The European Commission’s recent antitrust decision against SAP, which includes eliminating reinstatement fees and reducing back-maintenance charges, offers enterprise customers increased leverage in their contract negotiations and strategic planning around SAP ERP migrations.
- SAP abolishes reinstatement fees and reduces back-maintenance fees under EU antitrust ruling.
- Customers gain flexibility to choose mixed maintenance and support services.
- Gartner advises revisiting ERP migration plans to avoid rushed transitions and manage costs.
What happened
The European Commission concluded an antitrust investigation into SAP’s policies for maintenance and support services across Europe. SAP has made commitments to eliminate reinstatement fees and reduce back-maintenance fees for customers returning to SAP after a period of absence. Additionally, SAP must clarify and enable conditions allowing customers to select different maintenance and support providers or levels of service.
This ruling addresses concerns that SAP's previous policies restricted competition in the aftermarket for maintenance and support, creating barriers for third-party service providers. The decision fundamentally changes options for SAP customers, particularly those with legacy SAP ERP Central Component (ECC) systems, by legally enabling the use of third-party support services.
Why it matters
Thousands of enterprises running SAP ECC face costly and complex migration decisions as mainstream support ends in December 2027, with extended support available until 2030 at a premium fee. SAP’s push to move customers to cloud-based SAP S/4HANA or SaaS solutions through its RISE with SAP program has met resistance, as the majority still operate on-premises.
Gartner advises that the EU ruling grants customers vital flexibility to delay expensive migrations, reduce risks associated with transitioning to S/4HANA, and negotiate better contract terms. The decision lessens the pressure to migrate prematurely, helping organizations avoid technical debt, spiraling costs, and overly rigid cloud commitments.
What to watch next
Enterprises should closely evaluate their SAP ERP modernization timetables considering the new legal landscape. Decisions should be driven by operational readiness, technical debt considerations, and business needs rather than SAP-imposed deadlines. A balanced approach toward leveraging third-party support and SAP’s offerings will be crucial.
Customer negotiation power is expected to increase in upcoming renewal and support contract discussions. While SAP user groups do not anticipate massive moves to third-party support, the enhanced freedom to mix support options and the financial incentives introduced by SAP could create new cost-optimization and strategic opportunities for buyers.