Oracle Database customers are constantly burdened with rising support costs that fail to deliver proportional value, with 37% of respondents reducing their Oracle Database footprint due to the high cost to maintain. On top of this is the persistent pressure to upgrade — despite their current versions performing effectively. As executives look to maximize value, annual support costs are under greater scrutiny.
With the right strategies and solutions, organizations can take control of their database investments and unlock new growth opportunities. Our global survey sheds light on core challenges and trends across the Oracle Database space while uncovering forward-looking strategies.
Here’s a look at some of the key takeaways
Nearly 9 in 10 customers are sticking with versions that are not fully supported by the vendor
Almost 90% of Oracle Database users operate on dated versions (18c or older), as these database versions continue to perform reliably, enabling organizations to meet their operational needs without disruption. Many are still paying vendors 22% of their license fees on maintenance costs without seeing meaningful improvements, a cost that can be better reallocated towards priority projects or added to the bottom line.
Expert weigh-in: With Oracle Database versions 18c and older in Sustaining Support, Oracle customers are facing rising maintenance costs year after year without receiving critical updates or new features. This means they’re effectively paying more for less value. Businesses should carefully assess whether their current database strategy aligns with their long-term financial and operational goals.
High support costs are a top concern for 40% of Oracle Database customers
40% of Oracle Database users cite high maintenance costs as their top challenge. These escalating expenses are diverting critical funds away from modernization initiatives, making it difficult for organizations to stay competitive. 37% of respondents state that they are actively scaling down their Oracle Database footprint to lessen the financial burden of maintaining legacy systems.
Expert weigh-in: As Oracle pushes out their support timelines for Oracle Database 19c, the cumulative cost of support will be significant. Since databases are the foundation of digital transformation, organizations that strategically reallocate their budget towards more flexible, cost-effective solutions will be better positioned to drive innovation and maintain a competitive edge.
80% of respondents plan to migrate some or all of their ODB instances to alternatives
As businesses face rising costs and evolving demands, 80% of Oracle Database customers plan to migrate some or all of their instances to alternative solutions within the next 1–3 years. This shift is driven by the need for cost-effective options, scalable systems that support growth, and modern technologies that enhance agility and integration. For example, 41% of relational database management systems were open source in 2024.
Expert weigh-in: At the same time, another trend is emerging—repatriation and rightsizing of database infrastructures. Early adopters of cloud-based databases are reassessing their choices, many realizing that the actual costs of cloud computing can be higher than expected. This underscores the importance of a thorough financial analysis to weigh the true costs and benefits before making any cloud-related database decisions.
42% of organizations plan to replace their Oracle Database instances with AWS, while 41% plan to replace it with Azure
Many organizations are making the shift to cloud-based databases. Currently, 42% of Oracle Database users plan to migrate to AWS, while 41% are considering Azure. These cloud solutions can offer significant advantages, including 3-5x faster throughput, purpose-built databases with microsecond latency, and built-in vector capabilities. While Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) now provides multi-cloud flexibility, many alternative databases are evolving at a faster pace, offering greater innovation potential.
Expert weigh-in: However, as mentioned earlier, cloud benefits can come at a cost. Many organizations are realizing the importance of proactively monitoring and managing cloud expenses from the start, ensuring a well-structured and strategic approach to cost optimization.
64% of Oracle Database customers are open to exploring third-party support
Third-party support providers offer a compelling solution, delivering significant cost savings and access to a team of experts who provide faster, more responsive support to address complex database challenges. As organizations look to optimize their operations and reduce expenses, third-party support is becoming an increasingly attractive option.
Expert weigh-in:
Rimini Street has led the global market in third-party support for Oracle Database, helping clients like Hyundai cut database support costs by 50%. By freeing up funds for investments in new technologies, Rimini Street and Hyundai’s partnership supported the company’s goal of making autonomous transportation a reality.
“Our first year working together demonstrated the quality of Rimini Street support. Any database-related issues we raise are resolved faster and more effectively than with Oracle, so we had absolutely no reservations in extending the original contract to a multi-year agreement. ”
– Heegon Kim, Head of department, Cloud Technology Team, Hyundai Motor Group
Key Takeaways
Databases are essential for business growth, but rising support costs can hinder innovation. By reducing support spend, you can free up resources to invest in AI and automation, unlocking deeper insights and empowering stakeholders with the data they need to drive business growth.
If you’re looking to maximize the value of your current Oracle Database versions and skip the risk and cost of unnecessary upgrades, reach out to us. Together we can help ensure the stability and security of your mission-critical systems, bring down the cost of maintaining your database, and unlock your talent and budgetary resources so that you can reallocate them towards projects of greater business impact.
