SAP has announced new business continuity support services for existing customers facing challenges with complex ERP migrations. During its Q4 2024 earnings call on Tuesday, company executives confirmed that these services would be available through 2033.
Despite this extension, SAP remains firm on its plan to sunset maintenance support for SAP ERP Central Component (ECC) on-premises solutions in 2027 and to end extended services by 2030. To help enterprises that need more time to complete their RISE with SAP migration, the company is introducing a private cloud subscription option.
SAP CEO Christian Klein emphasized that these transition services do not represent an extension of on-premises support. Instead, they are intended for customers who commit to RISE with SAP by 2031. He stated that while cloud adoption is accelerating, SAP does not want to leave any customers behind. The initiative is aimed at a select group of large enterprises that require additional time to complete their transformation and migration to the cloud.
SAP continues to push its cloud-first agenda by offering financial incentives and technical support for its RISE with SAP and GROW with SAP ERP migration programs. The company has also undertaken significant organizational restructuring to drive cloud adoption. These efforts have resulted in a 25% year-over-year increase in cloud revenue, reaching €17.1 billion ($17.8 billion). This marks the third consecutive quarter of double-digit total revenue growth. Klein noted that SAP has more than doubled its cloud revenue since 2020, now making up half of the company’s total revenue.
The cloud ERP suite has been a major contributor to SAP’s growth, expanding by 34% in 2024 and accounting for 84% of the company’s total cloud revenue, according to CFO Dominik Asam.
To further support customer migration, SAP plans to enhance its RISE with SAP offering in 2025 by incorporating additional tools such as the LeanIX IT management solution, the Signavio business process software suite, and the WalkMe digital adoption platform. The company is also introducing new licensing options that will allow customers to upgrade cloud solutions across its business suite without requiring additional negotiations.
As part of its broader transformation strategy, SAP created a dedicated migration division last year, led by board member Thomas Saueressig, who previously served as CIO and global head of IT services. The company has extended Saueressig’s contract for another three years.
SAP is also reinforcing its AI ambitions with a renewed focus on innovation. The company has expanded the role of Philipp Herzig, who now serves as both global CTO and Chief AI Officer. Klein highlighted SAP’s commitment to AI investments in 2025, stating that all of the company’s 30,000 developers will work to enhance SAP’s AI foundation and develop new use cases.
With these initiatives, SAP is balancing its push toward cloud adoption with transitional support for legacy customers, ensuring a smoother path to its next-generation ERP solutions.
