For more than fifteen years, third-party support (3PS) for Oracle and SAP enterprise software has served as a replacement alternative to publisher support. Over the years, it has constantly evolved to meet the changing needs of the enterprise software market and to fill gaps not addressed by Oracle and SAP.
Beginning with specific Oracle applications, this 3PS is now available for virtually any Oracle or SAP on-premise enterprise or infrastructure product set. The most obvious benefits of switching from publisher support to a third-party software vendor include immediate cost savings, improved quality of service, and power to avoid unwanted software vendor lock-in.
Despite nearly 4,000 customers, however, 3PS is not well understood in comparison to the familiar models of Oracle and SAP support.
To set the record straight, we designed this guide as a starting point and single-source reference for 3PS. It covers the A-to-Z of 3PS, from what it is, to why it’s adopted, to how you evaluate it, to what the actual customer experience is like. Whether you’re an IT expert, C-level executive, procurement specialist, or application end-user, you will find useful tips, stories and advice to help you determine if 3PS is the right choice for your organization. So, let’s get started.