Oracle Extends Premier Support for EPM 11.1.2.x

I haven't seen an official announcement yet but got a hint that Oracle has updated the Fusion Middleware Lifetime Support Policy document with an interesting change regarding the EPM product suite. The Premier and Extended Support periods for EPM 11.1.2.x releases are getting a 3-year extension as follows:

• End of Premier Support moved from April 2015 to April 2018
• End of Extended Support moved from April 2018 to April 2021

After April 2021 these versions are entering the Sustaining Support phase.

What this really means is that EPM 11.1.2.x versions are entitled to receive updates in form of Patch Set Exceptions and Updates and will also potentially be certified with new third-party software like web browsers and MS Office versions until April 2018. For a full comparison of the Lifetime Support levels see the Oracle Lifetime Support Policies page.

When discussing Oracle support policies it's always a good idea to mention the following statement found in the Lifetime Support document:

For releases on Premier and Extended Support, previous patch sets (formerly maintenance releases) will be supported for six months after the  release date of a new patch set. Patch set updates (formerly service pack updates) will be supported for three months after the release of a new patch set update. 

Unless otherwise noted, indefinite Sustaining Support will continue to be provided for the latest service pack update of all product releases not
listed above.

Based on this statement Oracle could tell customers on EPM 11.1.2.2 (a Patch Set) that they need to upgrade to 11.1.2.3 (a newer Patch Set) later this year in order to get new updates to their products as 11.1.2.3 was released in April. The policy does not seem to be enforced very strictly though as older Patch Sets like 11.1.2.1 have still received some updates lately. But it's worth keeping in mind that the older a release (Patch Set) gets, the less likely it is to receive updates and third party certifications.


Update: The announcement on the Oracle Business Analytics Proactive Support blog: Fusion and EPM liftetime extended


Glossary:

• Patch Set - a version like EPM 11.1.2.2 and 11.1.2.3 (sometimes called "PS2", "PS3" etc.). Patch Sets are often called "new releases" in the EPM community because they usually include rather big changes to at least some of the products.
• Patch Set Update - a collection of patches for a particular product and version. Example: HFM 11.1.2.2 PSU 300 (the form "11.1.2.2.300" is also used)