Definition
Premier Support: The top tier vendor support contract. Covers active patch development, version upgrades, OS and database certifications, 24 by 7 access to engineers, and severity 1 response within 1 hour. Required for buyers running mission critical workloads on perpetual licensed software. Priced as a percentage of net license fee at Oracle and SAP, and as a percentage of qualifying product spend at Microsoft (now branded Unified Support).
The term Premier Support originated at Microsoft in the 1990s and was adopted by Oracle for its database maintenance tier. At Oracle, Premier covers active development for 5 years from general availability, plus a 3 year extended support window at +50 percent on the headline percentage. After Premier and Extended Support windows close, products transition to Sustaining Support, which continues forever but stops issuing new patches.
SAP structures the tier differently. Standard Support at 19 percent of net license fee covers patches and version upgrades. Enterprise Support at 22 percent adds the SAP MaxAttention quality program, 24 by 7 access, and shorter response targets. Microsoft replaced its Premier Support tier with Unified Support in 2018, which moved pricing from a flat fee to a percentage of qualifying Microsoft product spend, typically 9 to 12 percent under the Performance tier. The shift increased pricing for many large enterprises by 30 to 60 percent.
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Negotiation levers on Premier Support
Three negotiation levers reduce Premier Support spend. First, lock the percentage at signing of the underlying license deal, where 18 to 20 percent is achievable on multi year commitments at Oracle. Second, cap annual uplift at 3 to 5 percent against vendor standard 7 to 8 percent. Third, on Microsoft Unified, negotiate a fixed dollar cap or step down clause for years 2 and 3, which is a published concession that fewer than 30 percent of buyers ask for. See the software maintenance and support fees definition for the underlying mechanics.
For related vocabulary, see the sustaining support definition, the perpetual license definition, and the glossary hub. For Microsoft specific support negotiation, see the enterprise software benchmarks.
Frequently asked questions
What is Premier Support?
Premier Support is the top tier vendor maintenance plan that includes active development of patches, certifications for new operating systems and databases, 24 by 7 technical support, and severity 1 response targets. Oracle, Microsoft, and SAP all use the term Premier or Premier-equivalent (Microsoft now markets the tier as Unified Support).
How much does Premier Support cost?
Oracle Premier Support is 22 percent of net license fee per year. SAP Enterprise Support, the equivalent tier, is 22 percent of net license fee. Microsoft Unified Support is volume tier priced at 9 to 12 percent of qualifying product spend per year, with a 50,000 dollar minimum at the entry tier.
What happens when Premier Support ends for a product?
Oracle transitions products to Sustaining Support after the Premier window, typically 5 years from general availability plus an extended support window. Sustaining Support continues for the life of the contract but stops issuing new patches and certifications. SAP and Microsoft have similar tier downgrade timelines.
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