What Is Oracle Support?

What Is Oracle Support

• Premier Support: 5 years, 24/7 support, updates, patches.
• Extended Support: Extra 3 years, some limitations, extra cost.
• Sustaining Support: Indefinite, no new patches or updates.
• Market Driven Support (MDS): Temporary support, critical issues only, restricted services.

Introduction What Is Oracle Support

Understanding the available support levels is essential for organizations leveraging Oracle products to ensure they receive the necessary assistance, updates, and maintenance throughout their Oracle journey.

Oracle offers several support tiers designed to meet varying customer needs throughout a product’s lifecycle.

This article provides a detailed overview of the main Oracle support levels: Premier Support, Extended Support, Sustaining Support, and Market Driven Support (MDS).

Each level offers a distinct range of services to help businesses keep their systems running smoothly while balancing cost, coverage, and support duration. Let’s explore each level to see what it offers and how it differs.

Oracle Premier Support

Premier Support is Oracle’s flagship support offering for the first five years after a product’s general availability. It offers comprehensive assistance to ensure customers get the most out of their Oracle investments.

Key Features of Premier Support

1. Comprehensive Coverage
   • Oracle Premier Support provides 24/7 technical assistance with priority handling, making it suitable for mission-critical systems where quick issue resolution is essential.
   • Regular software updates are included, ensuring that organizations have access to the latest features and improvements.
2. Security and Compliance
   • Premier Support offers regular security patches and updates, ensuring the organization’s systems always comply with the latest security standards.
   • Tax, legal, and regulatory updates are also covered, which is crucial for businesses that must stay up-to-date with compliance requirements.
3. Compatibility and Certification
   • Certification with new Oracle and third-party products ensures that Oracle systems are compatible with the organization’s other key technologies. This aspect of Premier Support helps companies confidently adopt new technologies.
4. Knowledge Base Access
   • Access to My Oracle Support, which includes a robust knowledge base, user forums, and a wealth of best practices, allows organizations to troubleshoot problems more effectively and maximize their Oracle experience.

Oracle Extended Support

Extended Support is available for three more years beyond the Premier Support period. It is ideal for companies that require more time to migrate or upgrade their Oracle solutions but still need critical support services.

However, Extended Support comes with some limitations and added costs.

Key Features of Extended Support

1. Extended Lifecycle
   • Extended Support helps organizations maintain their systems without rushing into an upgrade or migration by providing support for three additional years beyond the Premier Support phase.
2. Premier-Level Assistance (With Some Limitations)
   • Extended Support retains many features of Premier Support, including critical patches, technical assistance, and security updates, but at an additional fee. Typically, this fee is 10-20% more than the Premier Support costs.
   • New Certifications: One key limitation is that Extended Support does not include certifications for new third-party products, which may limit compatibility as technology ecosystems evolve.
3. Security and Patches
   • Extended Support continues to provide security updates and critical patches, ensuring that systems remain secure and stable during the additional three years of use.
   • It also maintains existing certifications for third-party technologies, although no new certifications will be provided.

Oracle Sustaining Support

When Premier and Extended Support have expired, Oracle offers Sustaining Support, which allows organizations to continue receiving assistance, albeit with fewer benefits than the earlier support tiers.

Sustaining Support is available indefinitely, making it a long-term option for those systems that cannot or do not need to be upgraded.

Key Features of Sustaining Support

1. Indefinite Availability
   • Sustaining Support is available indefinitely, making it an option for legacy systems or products organizations wish to continue using without major updates.
2. Access to Existing Resources
   • Organizations can access existing patches and documentation, but no new updates or security patches will be provided. As a result, systems under Sustaining Support may become increasingly vulnerable over time.
   • No new third-party certifications or compatibility updates are provided, which may limit the usability of legacy Oracle systems when interacting with newer technologies.
3. Limited Services
   • Sustaining Support provides limited assistance, primarily through previously released fixes, online support tools, and My Oracle Support knowledge base access. This level of support does not include new features, updates, or architectural changes, and it is mainly focused on helping maintain operational stability.

Oracle Market Driven Support (MDS)

Oracle’s Market Driven Support (MDS) is a temporary solution to bridge the gap for specific product versions that may need continued support beyond typical coverage periods.

MDS is especially useful for organizations needing time to migrate while addressing critical issues in their current systems.

Core Features of Market-Driven Support

1. Temporary Extension of Support
   • MDS is a temporary support solution tailored to address the needs of specific Oracle product versions that have reached the end of their regular support lifecycle.
   • MDS typically covers Severity 1 and some Severity 2 issues, focusing on the most critical problems that could impact business continuity.
2. Security and Regulatory Updates
   • Periodic critical security patches ensure systems remain secure during the transition period.
   • Legislative and regulatory updates for selected countries are also part of the offering, helping organizations comply with new regulations during the extended support period.

Limitations of Market-Driven Support

1. Limited Scope
   • Unlike Premier or Extended Support, MDS does not include access to Platinum-level services, middleware support, or certifications for new third-party products. This restricted scope means that MDS is suitable only for organizations needing minimal support.
2. Limited Updates
   • Only selected tax, legal, and regulatory compliance updates are included. No architectural changes are allowed, and updates for payroll are only available for a limited set of countries, making this a very niche offering.
3. Cost Structure
   • The cost of MDS can vary greatly, typically ranging from $25,000 to $225,000 annually, depending on the size of the client and the level of support required. MDS offers four pricing tiers—Small, Medium, Large, and Enterprise—allowing organizations to select a package that matches their needs.

Comparison of Oracle Support Levels

Oracle’s different support levels—Premier, Extended, Sustaining, and Market Driven—each provide varying support, cost implications, and coverage duration.

Here’s a quick summary comparison:

1. Premier Support:
   • Duration: Five years from general availability.
   • Features: 24/7 support, security updates, regular software updates, and new product certifications.
   • Cost: A standard support fee is included with the product.
2. Extended Support:
   • Duration: Additional three years beyond Premier Support.
   • Features: Security patches, critical updates, and continued support, but with a 10-20% additional fee.
   • Limitations: No new third-party certifications.
3. Sustaining Support:
   • Duration: Indefinitely after Premier/Extended Support.
   • Features: Access to existing fixes and documentation, but no new updates or patches.
   • Limitations: Limited services and no new certifications or updates.
4. Market Driven Support (MDS):
   • Duration: Temporary solution for specific product versions.
   • Features: Covers Severity 1 and critical Severity 2 issues, periodic security patches, and legislative updates.
   • Limitations: No new third-party certifications, middleware support, and limited regulatory updates.

Choosing the Right Support Level

Choosing the right support level depends largely on the organization’s needs, budget, and technology lifecycle.

Here are some general guidelines:

1. Premier Support is best for organizations that want full, comprehensive support, including all updates, patches, and compatibility certifications for the first five years.
2. Extended Support is suitable for those who need more time than Premier Support to transition to newer versions, though it comes with extra costs.
3. Sustaining Support is suitable for organizations with stable legacy systems that do not need new updates or patches, particularly when the cost of migration or upgrades is prohibitive.
4. Market-driven Support is ideal for organizations needing a temporary extension beyond the normal support cycle for specific products while preparing for a full migration.

Oracle Support FAQ

What is Oracle Premier Support? Premier Support is the foundational level of Oracle support, offering 24/7 technical assistance, software updates, security patches, and compatibility certification for the first five years after a product’s general availability.

How long does Oracle Premier Support last? Premier Support lasts five years from the product’s general availability date, offering comprehensive assistance, including software updates, security patches, and certifications for new technologies.

What services does Oracle Extended Support provide? Extended Support continues most Premier Support features for an additional three years. Still, it excludes certifications for new third-party products and requires a higher fee, typically 10-20% above the Premier Support costs.

How is Oracle Sustaining Support different from Premier and Extended Support? Sustaining Support provides ongoing access to patches and documentation but lacks new security updates, certifications, or enhancements. It is available indefinitely after Premier and Extended Support end.

What is Oracle Market Driven Support (MDS)? MDS is a temporary support option for specific product versions. It focuses on Severity 1 and select Severity 2 issues, periodic security patches, and limited regulatory updates. It is often used to extend support while migrating to newer versions.

How long is Oracle Extended Support available? It is available for an additional three years after Premier Support ends. This gives organizations more time to migrate or upgrade Oracle products while maintaining critical support.

Does Sustaining Support include new security patches? No, It does not. It only provides access to previously released patches and documentation, making it suitable for stable systems that do not require new updates.

What is covered under Oracle Premier Support? Premier Support includes 24/7 technical support, regular software updates, security patches, tax and regulatory updates, and certification with new Oracle and third-party products, ensuring systems are up-to-date and compliant.

Can Extended Support be renewed? Extended Support is generally available for a fixed three-year period after Premier Support. Renewal options may depend on the specific Oracle product and contract terms. It is best to plan migrations or upgrades during the Extended Support window.

What happens after Oracle Extended Support ends? After Extended Support ends, organizations can opt for Sustaining Support, which offers access to existing fixes and support tools but does not provide new patches, updates, or compatibility certifications.

Is Market-Driven Support (MDS) a long-term solution? No. MDS is a temporary support solution designed to bridge the gap for specific products until a full migration or upgrade can be completed. It is best suited for maintaining critical systems during transition periods.

How does Oracle support impact system compliance? Premier and Extended Support provide essential updates, including tax, legal, and regulatory changes, helping maintain compliance. Sustaining Support does not include new compliance updates, which could be a risk for systems requiring ongoing regulatory adherence.

What is the cost structure of Oracle Extended Support? Extended Support costs typically add 10-20% to the original Premier Support fee, reflecting the continued updates, security patches, and support provided beyond the initial five-year Premier Support period.

When should Market-Driven Support be considered? MDS should be considered when organizations need a short-term support extension for specific Oracle products that have reached the end of their regular support lifecycle, particularly when planning an upgrade.

How can organizations decide on the right support level? Choosing the right support level depends on factors such as the lifecycle stage of the Oracle product, the need for ongoing updates, budget constraints, and the organization’s readiness to upgrade or migrate to newer solutions.