It is now 2026. We are standing at the threshold of the final year before SAP officially ends mainstream maintenance for ECC in 2027.
Two years ago, moving to the cloud might have been an option. Today, at the start of 2026, it is an imperative. But this isn’t just about an expiring contract. The deeper reality is that SAP’s strategic gravity has shifted entirely. The latest AI capabilities (like Joule), real-time analytics, and business innovations are now exclusively available on the SAP Cloud ERP platform.
Remaining on-premise with ECC doesn’t just mean losing support; it means accepting a state of “technical stagnation” in the age of AI.
For the past two decades, the standard approach to ERP implementation was “high customization.” Modifying source code to fit internal processes was the norm. While effective in a stable era, this model now triggers three fatal side effects:
1. The Innovation Gap: Legacy on-premise architectures are closed systems. They physically cannot connect to modern, cloud-native AI and business network capabilities.
2. Upgrade Paralysis: extensive customization equals extensive risk. Every upgrade becomes a massive project, forcing many enterprises to freeze on five-year-old versions.
3. The Operational Black Hole: IT teams consume their energy maintaining servers and patching security holes, leaving no bandwidth to drive business value through data.
Many mistake “moving to the cloud” for simply shifting servers. This is a fundamental misunderstanding. The core logic of SAP Cloud ERP is the separation of Core and Extensions.
What is the Clean Core Strategy? It requires keeping the ERP core system clean and standard, while decoupling all personalized customizations and migrating them to run on the SAP BTP (Business Technology Platform).
This represents a new operating model:：
1. End-to-End Data Flow: Breaking down module silos for seamless business fluidity.
2. AI Readiness: Only a standardized, clean data foundation can successfully run AI algorithms.
3. SaaS Agility: With a clean core, your ERP upgrades as easily as a mobile app, continuously delivering the latest features.
SAP offers two distinct paths tailored to different organizational legacies and future visions. These are not just products; they are transformation tempos.
Who it’s for: New customers, or subsidiaries and branches of large enterprises ready to abandon historical baggage and redesign processes.
Core Value: “Out-of-the-Box.” It adopts SAP’s industry Best Practices accumulated over decades. It offers rapid deployment and ensures you are always on the latest version—the fastest route to the AI era.
Product：SAP Cloud ERP (SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition)。
Who it’s for: Existing ECC customers with significant historical data and complex custom code who wish to preserve their current investment.
Core Value: “Soft Landing.” It allows enterprises to “lift and shift” complex ERP systems to the cloud. You retain high modification rights, but the underlying infrastructure management is handed over to SAP.
Whether you choose RISE or GROW, Standardization is irreversible.
In the ECC era, we modified the system to fit the business. In the Cloud era, success depends on Fit-to-Standard—adapting business processes to standard best practices. Leaders must ask: Is that unique process a true competitive advantage, or just a legacy habit we’re afraid to break?
Embracing standards slashes implementation cycles. Instead of spending months on blueprints and coding, you configure and launch directly based on standard flows.
Switching from on-premise to SAP Cloud ERP involves fundamental changes in infrastructure, cybersecurity, and interface reconstruction. A deep Technical Assessment before project kickoff is non-negotiable.
As an SAP Platinum Partner and GROW with SAP certified expert, Acloudear helps enterprises deliver:
2026 is your final action window. Do not wait until the clock runs out. Start your technical and process assessment today.
About Acloudear
As an SAP Platinum Partner, 2020 Pinnacle Award Winner, and United VARs member, Acloudear specializes in SAP Cloud ERP solutions. Powered by the twin engines of “AI + Globalization,” we deliver one-stop cloud solutions—from process reconstruction to AI innovation—for over 300 customers across industries like Automotive, High-Tech, and Life Sciences. Acloudear is a pioneer in China’s cloud-native services. By combining SAP Best Practices with our unique “1+X” innovation matrix, we reshape corporate digital DNA and empower enterprises to unlock the full potential of the cloud. Our commitment to excellence has earned us multiple recognitions as the SAP Best Cloud Partner.
This article "The 2026 Action Window: Your Last Ticket for SAP ECC Migration" by AcloudEAR. We focus on business applications such as cloud ERP.
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