For more than fifteen years, third-party support (3PS) for Oracle and SAP enterprise software has served as an alternative to publisher support. Over the years, it 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 the power to avoid unwanted software vendor lock-in.
Despite nearly 4,000 customers, there is a misunderstanding around 3PS in comparison to the familiar models of Oracle and SAP support. Not helping matters, the software publishers have worked hard to protect their support revenues, often by spreading confusion and misinformation regarding 3PS.
Spinnaker Support 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 to adopt it, 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.
