Oracle has recently started sending emails to certain clients regarding extended support fees being waived. The emails state that if the database meets the following conditions, it will be eligible for the waiver. Oracle clients who qualify must request the extended support waiver from Oracle.
Application Requirements:
- Database releases 11.2 or 12.1
- Database is being used to support Oracle E-Business Suite applications
- The organization must contact Oracle and provide all CSI numbers, quantity and versions of these database licenses
Timelines:
- Premier support for 11.2 originally expired in January 2015, and subsequently was waived through December 2018
- Premier support for 12.1 originally expired in July 2018, and subsequently was waived through July 2019
- Qualifying Extended Support fees have now been waived through December 2020
Normal Costs:
- Extended Support fee is calculated at 20% of the most recent support fee for the Database (and any options/packs if applicable) on the CSIs and license quantities identified
Exemptions:
- Clients are still required to pay for Extended Support for any databases of the same release used as backend to other applications
- Clients cannot pick and choose, which databases they want on Extended Support within each release because of Oracle’s rule of “Matching Service Levels”, which states “…If you add Extended Support,…, you must acquire Extended Support for all licenses of a particular version release of a program if you acquire Extended Support for any license in such version release…”
In summary, if the client organization is using one of the DB releases mentioned above to run BOTH E-Business Suite and non- E-Business Suite applications, they will not get access to any new patches, fixes and security updates for their E-Business Suite databases unless they pay for Extended Support on non- E-Business Suite databases.
Additionally, Oracle is blocking any patch downloads until they get confirmation from the Client organization regarding how they are using their databases – see an example of Oracle’s response to Client organization’s inquiry on the topic via SR (Service Request):
Example Text:
Dear [Client Name],
[Client Name] has been identified by Oracle as having both database licenses and Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) licenses. As part of our continued commitment to provide the industry’s leading support offerings, Oracle has approved a fee waiver for database Extended Support fees through December 2020 for E-Business Suite customers running 11.2 and/or 12.1 database releases. The Extended Support fee waiver will be specific to the database licenses within your environment that are used for running the EBS software. In order to determine if you are eligible for this waiver, please provide answers to the following:
- Are you running version 11.2 and/or 12.1 database release(s)?
- Are you using these database licenses to directly run your EBS software?
- If so, please provide all CSI numbers, quantity and versions of these database licenses.
Please be aware that in order to meet compliance, you must abide by our Matching Service Level Policy (page 3). If you add Extended Support, you still must maintain Software Update License & Support for the entire license set; subject to availability, you must acquire Extended Support for all licenses of a particular version release of a program if you acquire Extended Support for any license in such version release. You may reply to this RSR and include the information requested above.
If you’d like more information or have any questions, please contact us.