Introduction
For CIOs overseeing Oracle JD Edwards (JDE) ERP systems, balancing high support costs and vendor-driven upgrades against the need for a stable, customized system is a perennial challenge. In recent years, many organizations have found an answer in third-party support providers like Rimini Street and Spinnaker Support. These independent support partners promise dramatic cost savings, longer system life, better support for customizations, and reduced risk – essentially, a stable future for your JDE environment without Oracle’s constraints. This article explores why switching JDE support to a third-party provider can be a “match made for stability,” covering the full spectrum of benefits and the common triggers that lead CIOs to make the switch.
The Case for Switching JDE Support
Third-party support for JD Edwards means contracting an independent provider to handle maintenance and support instead of Oracle. Companies still legally own and use their JDE software, but rely on the third party for bug fixes, tax and regulatory updates, and technical assistance. Two leading providers, Rimini Street and Spinnaker Support, have emerged globally. Their value proposition is simple: better service at a lower cost. Many CIOs initially consider this route due to budget pressures or an Oracle end-of-support deadline. However, they often discover that the benefits go far beyond cost, encompassing service quality and strategic flexibility. Below, we summarize the key advantages of third-party JDE support and how they address common pain points.
Cost Savings: Cutting Support Fees and Funding Innovation
One of the most compelling reasons to switch is the immediate cost savings. Oracle’s annual support fees typically run around 20–22% of the software license value and often rise over time (especially if entering extended support phases). Third-party providers undercut this significantly, usually charging about 50% of Oracle’s fee, resulting in direct savings of ~50% on maintenance costs. In practice, many organizations see even greater total savings when factoring in avoided upgrade costs and more efficient support usage. Spinnaker Support, for example, reports average client savings of 62%–67% on support costs. Rimini Street clients have collectively saved over $9 billion by reducing Oracle maintenance spend.
- Benchmark Examples: A public school district in New York saved 60% (about $500k annually) by moving off Oracle support. Carico International, a JDE EnterpriseOne user, saved 73% on total maintenance costs by switching to Rimini Street – freeing budget to invest in new customer-facing web portals. Similarly, Welch’s (the food producer) avoided an unnecessary upgrade and saved nearly $1 million per year on support, redirecting those funds to new marketing initiatives and even hiring a security analyst. These cases underline a pattern: CIOs can reallocate sizable portions of their IT budgets from keeping the lights on to driving innovation.
- No Hidden Costs: Third-party support contracts are typically all-inclusive, meaning they cover customizations, integrations, and regulatory updates at no extra charge. Oracle, by contrast, charges extra for certain support extensions and doesn’t assist with custom code (we’ll discuss that shortly). Moreover, third-party providers generally lock in predictable fees year over year. You don’t face the periodic support fee hikes that Oracle often imposes (for example, uplifts during extended support)This cost predictability over a 5- or 10-year horizon is valuable for CIOs planning long-term budgets.
In summary, switching to third-party JDE support can cut annual support bills in half (or better). Those savings can be redirected to strategic projects – funding a digital transformation, upgrading infrastructure, or improving the bottom line. The financial case is usually the first to catch a CIO’s attention, but it’s only the beginning.
Long-Term System Stability and Extended Lifespan
Beyond cost, third-party support offers a path to maximize the useful life of your JD Edwards system. Oracle’s strategy for enterprise software typically involves regular upgrades and eventually sunsetting older releases. JDE clients who choose to remain on Oracle support must either keep up with this roadmap or face losing full support when Oracle designates a version as “End of Premier Support.” In contrast, third-party providers commit to supporting your current system for as long as you need. This means you can run a stable, proven JDE release indefinitely without forced upgrades, all while receiving ongoing help and updates.
Consider the scenario of a JDE customer on an older release: Oracle announces that the version will move to Sustaining Support (minimal support) by next year, effectively an end-of-support deadline. The typical Oracle playbook is to push the customer to upgrade to the latest JDE release (an expensive and disruptive project) to stay fully supported. This was the case for Carico International, which was told to upgrade from JDE 8.12 to 9.1 just to continue receiving full support. Instead, Carico switched to third-party support and avoided the forced upgrade altogether. “Rimini Street gave us a path where we could continue to use our applications in their current state… without being forced into an upgrade,” said Carico’s VP of IT. The third-party provider took over support of the 8.12 system – including updates for tax and regulatory changes – allowing Carico to safely run that stable environment for years longer than Oracle’s timeline would have permitted.
No Forced Upgrades: This kind of freedom is a hallmark of third-party support. You decide if and when an upgrade makes sense, based on business needs, not vendor mandates. With Oracle support, there is implicit (or explicit) pressure to adopt the vendor’s roadmap – e.g. upgrading to the newest release or even migrating to Oracle Cloud ERP – on Oracle’s schedule. Third-party support breaks this cycle. If your current JDE version is meeting business requirements, you can stick with it confidently. Support won’t be used as leverage to make you upgrade, so you gain control over your IT roadmap. When (or if) you choose to upgrade in the future, it will be on your terms and timeline, with the third-party support continuing until you’re ready to transition. This flexibility often leads to smoother, better-planned upgrades or migrations, as they’re done for strategic reasons rather than under duress of expiring support.
Stability and Reliability: Running a mature JDE system without constant change can be a boon for stability. Users are familiar with the system, integrations with other applications remain intact, and there is less risk of new bugs being introduced by frequent patches or version changes. Third-party providers ensure you still get necessary fixes, but in a targeted way that doesn’t require overhauling your whole system. They will, for instance, develop fixes or workarounds for any serious bugs that emerge, even on older releases that Oracle no longer patches. They will also keep providing regulatory compliance updates (e.g., changes in tax law or financial reporting requirements) tailored to your specific JDE version and geography, so you don’t fall behind legally. In short, you keep your trusted, stable ERP running optimally for the long haul, maximizing ROI on that system.
Oracle has extended JDE EnterpriseOne 9.2 support to at least 2036 in response to customer commitment. Still, many organizations run older releases or simply don’t want to be beholden to Oracle’s timeline through 2036. Third-party support offers an insurance policy: your support will continue no matter when Oracle’s official support ends for your version. Even if “Oracle itself might consider [a release] end-of-life,” an independent provider will support it beyond the official end. For CIOs, this means peace of mind and stability – you won’t be stranded without support and can avoid disruptive, business-unnecessary upgrades.
Better Support for Customizations and Unique Needs
Every CIO knows that ERP systems like JD Edwards are rarely used “out of the box.” Over the years of operation, companies have applied countless customizations, extensions, and integrations to tailor JDE to their business. These might include custom modules, modified reports, bespoke workflows, or bolt-on applications. While these customizations are essential to the business, they often challenge vendor support. Oracle’s standard support policy explicitly excludes custom code issues – their engineers will typically ask you to reproduce any problem on the vanilla, uncustomized software before they provide a fix. In practice, if a critical issue arises in your heavily tailored JDE system, Oracle support may bounce back to your team, claiming it’s “not supported” due to customizations. This gap can leave your IT staff on the hook to troubleshoot complex issues alone, negating much of the value of paying for support.
Third-party support shines here by embracing your customizations rather than avoiding them. Rimini Street and Spinnaker Support advertise that they will fully support custom code at no additional cost. In other words, if you’ve extended JDE to fit your processes, the independent support engineers will take on troubleshooting and fixing issues in that customized environment. Spinnaker Support notes that Oracle’s JDE support engineers are instructed to halt service requests until the customer proves the issue isn’t caused by a customization – essentially telling the client, “if you’ve modified our code, you’re on your own.” Third-party providers, by contrast, dig in to resolve the problem regardless of whether it originates in standard code or a custom modificationThey often begin the engagement by doing a knowledge transfer with your team to understand all your customizations upfront, so that when an issue arises, they already know the context of your system.
The result is more comprehensive and personalized support. Your IT team gets a partner who will troubleshoot any issue impacting your JDE environment – one support umbrella to cover the whole system. This closes the support gap for custom code and improves overall issue resolution times. Many third-party support models assign a dedicated senior engineer (or small team) to your account, rather than routing you through a generic call center. For example, Rimini Street provides a named Primary Support Engineer with on average 15 years of experience for each client , not a random tier-1 agent reading from a script.
Service levels are often superior to Oracle’s standard support. Third-party SLAs commonly promise responses from an expert within minutes for critical issues (Rimini guarantees e.g. 10-15 minute response for P1 issues) Some anecdotal evidence from JDE customers bears this out: One CIO recounts having a production-down issue late on a Friday evening – after switching to Spinnaker Support, they received a call back within 15 minutes. The support engineer stayed on the case until 2:00 AM to fully resolve the problem . This kind of dedication “after hours” is often cited by clients who have moved away from vendor support, and it highlights the concierge-level service that independent providers strive to offer. As a massive vendor, Oracle cannot usually provide that level of hands-on attention (unless you pay exorbitantly for their highest premium support tier). Third-party support teams pride themselves on filling that gap, often leading to higher customer satisfaction. It’s not uncommon to hear IT leaders say they “wish we had made the move years earlier” after experiencing the proactive and personalized service.
Additionally, third-party support isn’t limited to break-fix help. Providers frequently assist with performance tuning, interoperability questions, and minor enhancements – essentially acting as an extension of your IT team. And as noted, all of this includes the custom elements of your system. In summary, for a highly customized JDE environment, independent support can support more of your system than Oracle ever would, yielding faster issue resolution and less finger-pointing. It ensures even your unique tweaks and integrations are covered under the support contract, greatly reducing the risk of downtime or unresolved problems.
Risk Mitigation and Roadmap Independence
Switching to third-party support can also be considered a strategic risk mitigation measure. It addresses several types of risks that concern CIOs:
- Risk of Vendor Timeline Dependence: Relying solely on Oracle’s support means Oracle effectively controls your ERP’s fate, dictating when you must upgrade or your support will expire. This can conflict with your business’s optimal timing for change. Contrarily, third-party support gives IT leaders full control of the ERP roadmap. You won’t be compelled to update someone else’s schedule. This independence ensures that changes to the system (upgrades, migrations) happen only when they align with business strategy, not because of an arbitrary end-of-support date. The freedom to declare independence from the vendor’s roadmap is a significant strategic advantage; it lets you plan long-term without the looming threat of support being pulled out from under you.
- Risk of Running Unsupported: Perhaps the greatest risk is running mission-critical software without support. If Oracle ends support for your JDE version and you choose not to upgrade, you’d be left with no vendor support, meaning no new patches, and limited help if something breaks. That is usually untenable for critical systems. Third-party support eliminates the “orphaned software” risk by providing a safety net after Oracle’s support lifeline ends. You continue to receive bug fixes, help, and updates indefinitely. In other words, your system stays officially supported (just by a different support partner), mitigating the operational risk of going it alone.
- Security and Compliance Risks: A common concern is, “What about security patches and regulatory compliance, if we’re not getting updates from Oracle?” Third-party providers have robust answers for this. They deliver tax, legal, and regulatory (TLR) updates for your JDE environment to keep you compliant with changing laws, for example, new tax rates, payroll regulations, or financial reporting standards. These updates are often tailored to your geographic and industry needs and delivered on a schedule (monthly, year-end, etc.) that is less disruptive than Oracle’s one-size-fits-all updates. Spinnaker Support, for instance, includes global tax and regulatory compliance updates as a standard part of JDE support, regardless of how old the software is, and provides timely year-end updates for dozens of JDE customers every year (covering all the countries and states they operate in). On the security front, third-party providers take a proactive approach even without Oracle’s patches. They perform vulnerability assessments and develop mitigation strategies or workarounds for security issues to protect your system. This might involve configuration changes, virtual patching, or bespoke fixes that harden your system against known exploits.
In many cases, this can be just as effective as official patches – for example, by addressing the root vulnerability in your environment. The goal is to keep you secure and compliant, so you’re not increasing operational risk by leaving Oracle. Many CIOs find that with third-party support, they get more attentive security monitoring, since the provider knows they must prove their worth on this front. The key is that you do not lose out on critical updates; they just come through a different mechanism. - Legal and License Compliance Risks: Is it legal to use third-party support? In short, yes – as long as you adhere to your Oracle license agreement. When switching, you typically must stop downloading Oracle’s support materials and may need to archive any patches you’ve already received (to remain compliant). But independent support itself is an accepted practice. It has been upheld in court that customers have the right to use their perpetual licenses and hire outside firms for support, provided no intellectual property is infringed. Experts note that third-party support is legally permissible when you follow Oracle’s rules – i.e. you’ve terminated Oracle’s support contract and you don’t take Oracle’s IP beyond what your license allows Reputable third-party providers guide clients carefully through this transition to avoid any license breaches. While Oracle’s sales reps might threaten that leaving support could “damage your relationship” or cause compliance issues, these scare tactics usually don’t materialize if you’ve done your homework. In fact, thousands of companies have successfully switched to third-party support without legal issues. (It’s worth enlisting legal/licensing expertise during the transition, but the path is well-trodden now)
- Audit and Vendor Pressure: Another risk in staying with Oracle is the indirect pressure Oracle can exert, for example, through software audits or tying support status to license negotiations. When you’re no longer a support customer, Oracle has less leverage in these areas. Third-party support providers also often offer license advisory services to help ensure you remain compliant and to buffer against Oracle audits. Moreover, being off Oracle support means Oracle can’t easily use the support channel to upsell cloud services or new modules. You essentially remove yourself from Oracle’s direct line of influence, alleviating the risk of being pushed into unwanted purchases. Suppose you need to buy new Oracle licenses or even rejoin Oracle support in the future. In that case, you can negotiate from a position of greater independence (though it’s important to maintain good standing with your licenses in the interim). Many CIOs view this as a risk reduction – you’re less entangled with the vendor and freer to pursue your chosen technology strategy.
In aggregate, these factors make a strong risk-mitigation argument. With third-party support, you reduce the risk of downtime and compliance gaps (through active support of even your custom, older system), avoid the risks of forced upgrades (which can fail or cause major issues if rushed), and diminish vendor-related risks that come from being overdependent on Oracle. You gain a more stable, controlled environment – hence the “stability” in our title – and the freedom to plot your IT roadmap without walking a tightrope of vendor deadlines.
Common Triggers for Switching Support
What prompts CIOs to actually make the leap to third-party support for JD Edwards? There are several common trigger events and considerations:
- End-of-Support Announcements: Perhaps the biggest trigger is when Oracle announces that a JDE version is nearing end-of-life for full support (entering Sustaining Support). Facing an upcoming date after which you’d no longer get patches or regular updates, you have to undertake a costly upgrade or find another way. Many choose the third-party route to avoid being left unsupported after Oracle’s cutoff. As noted, Carico switched when JDE 8.12 was being de-supported, and other customers have moved when older World or EnterpriseOne releases reached support deadlines. If Oracle is sunsetting the version your business runs on, third-party support can extend its viable life for 5, 10, even 15+ more years, buying you time (and saving money) until you’re truly ready to transition.
- Unnecessary or Forced Upgrades: Even without a hard end-of-support notice, Oracle’s continuous innovation model can pressure clients to upgrade frequently (e.g., applying feature packs or moving from 9.1 to 9.2) to stay fully certified. CIOs often find that these upgrades bring marginal business benefits yet consume significant resources. A common trigger is when the new features can’t justify a planned upgrade’s cost, risk, and downtime. Third-party support offers a way to skip unnecessary upgrades while still receiving support. For example, Welch’s determined their current system was stable and functional, so they avoided a scheduled upgrade and saved ~$1M annually by switching support instead Similarly, Cengage chose third-party support to avoid an “expensive and disruptive JDE upgrade” that Oracle was urging, freeing up funds for more strategic projectsIf your team is groaning under the strain of constant patches or upgrades that add little value, that’s a strong signal to consider third-party support and stick with a reliable version.
- Budget Cuts or Cost Optimization Initiatives: Sometimes the trigger is purely financial. If the organization is pursuing broad cost-cutting, the CIO might target the hefty Oracle support line item (often millions per year) for reduction. Unlike many IT cost cuts that come with pain, switching to an independent support provider can slash expenses while actually improving service levels, as we’ve seen. So when CFOs demand a leaner IT budget, CIOs find third-party support an attractive option that meets savings goals without harming (indeed improving) operational support. The availability of real-world case studies and benchmarks – like 50%+ savings and high satisfaction rates – makes it easier to sell this change internally.
- Desire for Roadmap Independence: In some cases, the driver is strategic. The company may be formulating an IT roadmap that involves modernizing on their own timeline – for example, they might plan to eventually migrate from JDE to a different ERP or to cloud-based apps, but not for another 3-5 years. During that interim period, they want to keep JDE stable and supported without investing in Oracle’s roadmap. Third-party support provides a bridge for those years, allowing the company to avoid sinking money into Oracle upgrades or support when their long-term plan is to move elsewhere. In other words, it affords roadmap independence: the ability to run JDE “as is” and focus resources on future-state initiatives. Many CIOs opt for independent support precisely to decouple from Oracle’s roadmap and maintain flexibility while they explore new options. Knowing that the support partner has no agenda to sell new software, the IT team can freely consider hybrid architectures, two-tier ERP, or gradual cloud migrations at their own pace. This trigger is often seen when organizations are at a crossroads – for instance, after an Oracle announcement that pushes cloud adoption, or when new leadership decides to diversify away from single-vendor reliance.
- Poor Support Experience with Oracle: A more tactical trigger is frustration with Oracle’s support quality or responsiveness. Maybe the organization has experienced too many slow resolutions, low-priority responses, or support tickets getting lost in bureaucracy. Oracle’s support portal (My Oracle Support) is largely self-service and can be cumbersome – one-size-fits-all responses, knowledge articles to sift through, and often a rotating cast of support reps. If a CIO hears consistent complaints from their IT staff that “we aren’t getting the help we need from Oracle,” they might explore third-party support that advertises a higher-touch experience. As noted, independent providers use on-call senior engineers and “concierge” service, rather than leaving you to navigate MOS (My Oracle Support) independently. This often improves productivity and satisfaction for the internal team, who no longer waste time escalating through Oracle’s tiers. Thus, an operations-focused CIO who wants to boost IT service quality might trigger a switch simply to get better support. It’s telling that many JDE customers report smoother operations and happier IT staff post-transition – even the best internal team can perform better if they have a responsive external support partner backing them up.
In reality, several of these triggers combine. For example, an end-of-support deadline paired with the high cost of an upgrade and budget pressures creates a perfect storm, making the third-party option attractive and perhaps the only sensible choice. Recognizing these moments and treating third-party support as a legitimate, proven solution rather than a risky experiment is key. With over 5,900 organizations using independent support providers worldwide (including many Fortune 500 companies), this model has matured and gained trust. Knowing the triggers can help CIOs proactively evaluate the option at the right time, instead of reacting late or sticking with the status quo by default.
Conclusion: A Strategic Shift for Cost and Stability
Switching JD Edwards support from Oracle to a third-party provider can be a game-changer for organizations looking to save money and gain stability. It’s not just a cost-cutting tactic (though the savings are substantial); it’s a strategic move that can extend the life of your ERP, improve support quality, and give you greater control over your IT destiny. CIOs who have made the switch often find that they can deliver the same (or better) service to the business at a fraction of the cost, which is truly a win-win. Of course, it requires due diligence: ensuring license compliance, choosing a reputable provider, and aligning the decision with your overall IT strategy. However, as numerous case studies demonstrate, when executed thoughtfully, third-party support for JDE is indeed a “match made for stability.” It enables IT leaders to keep a rock-solid, customized system running for as long as needed, without vendor turbulence, while redeploying precious resources to innovation and growth.
Before making any decision, weigh the pros and cons for your environment. Engage stakeholders, assess the contract terms, and perhaps speak to peer organizations who have transitioned. Most find that the benefits outlined – cost savings, long-term support assurance, tailored service, and risk mitigation – materialize as promised under third-party support. In an era where CIOs are expected to do more with less and plan for the future amidst uncertainty, having a stable, well-supported core system and extra budget in hand is a huge advantage. JD Edwards, paired with a third-party support model, can deliver exactly that: stability today and flexibility for tomorrow.
Key Takeaways for CIOs
- Slash Maintenance Costs: Third-party support can cut JDE support fees by 50% or more, immediately freeing up budget. Many companies have saved millions (e.g., 60% cost reductions), money that can be reinvested in strategic initiatives.
- Extend System Lifespan: You can run your stable JDE release indefinitely with full support, even if Oracle’s official support ends. No more forced upgrades just to stay supported – upgrade on your schedule when it truly adds value.
- No More Forced Upgrades: Avoid the disruption and expense of vendor-driven upgrades. Companies like Cengage and Welch’s skipped major upgrades by switching support, saving costs, and focusing IT effort on innovation instead.
- Support for Customizations: Third-party providers fully support custom code and integrations, fixing issues Oracle would decline to troubleshoot. All your unique customizations are covered under one support umbrella, reducing downtime risk and internal burden.
- Superior Service Quality: Enjoy personalized, responsive support with dedicated engineers. Expect fast response times (often 15 minutes for critical issues) and proactive issue resolution. Many CIOs report higher satisfaction and quicker fixes than Oracle’s standard support.
- Ongoing Compliance and Security: Stay current with tax, legal, and regulatory changes through provider-supplied updates and keep your system secure with tailored security patches/mitigations. Even while using an older software release, you won’t fall behind on compliance.
- Mitigate Vendor Risk: Take back control of your IT roadmap: Oracle will no longer dictate your upgrade timing or push you toward their cloud. Third-party support makes you independent from vendor timelines, letting you plan technology changes in alignment with business needs.
- Stable, Predictable Costs: No surprise fee hikes or add-on charges – third-party contracts are typically flat or inflation-linked and include all support aspects (custom fixes, updates) in one price. This predictability makes long-term IT financial planning easier.
- Proven Path, Low Risk: Thousands of organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, have successfully switched to third-party support. If you manage the transition properly (license compliance, etc.), the risks are understood and manageable. The upside, in cost savings and service, has been validated in practice.
Armed with these insights, CIOs can confidently evaluate whether third-party support for JD Edwards matches their organization’s quest for stability, efficiency, and long-term value. The decision ultimately boils down to this: continue on the costly, vendor-controlled path, or seize the opportunity to run your JDE environment on your terms, with substantial savings and support that truly supports your business. For many, the choice is becoming clear.
