Estimated End of Service date for Enterprise Planner???

[VTECRX]

The institute I work for is currently on Cognos 8.4.1 and upgrading to Cognos 10.2.  As part of planning process for our upgrade, we have decided to refresh our EP environment with a new planning application.  However we are faced with the decision to either redeploy using EP or spend the money on implementing TM1.  From all the research I have completed, I know TM1 would fit our environment very well and bring many benefits.  But the additional licensing cost for TM1 is challenge to get thru the approval process.  I have asked IBM as well as a couple other sources about how long they plan to support EP but have not received a firm response.  Can anyone provide some guidance on this???

Basically, if EP will only be supported for less than 2 years then sunset, it makes no sense to spend the time/effort/money to redeploy a fresh EP application.  However, if we can get 4 more year out of EP we may hold off on TM1.

Thanks in advance for any guidance on this topic!

[ericlfg]

So it's very likely EP will be around for a bit, they run on a 5+3 release schedule.  That means that from the date of the 10.1 release (Oct 2010 I believe?) there is a 5 year support window, with products being sunset in April and September of the calendar years, with the option to buy extended support for up to 3 years.  So, it's very likely that EP 10.1.x will be sunset in April of 2016.

Of course, IBM could change things and my prediction above about 2016 could be invalid.

[VTECRX]

Thanks for the guidance ericlfg.

[StuartS]

I have been in a similar situation, but IBM have been non specific but I have heard two years mentioned, 2016 and 2018.

TM1 is very expensive in comparison and as such my employer is evaluating other software.

Stuart

[mr j]

What are the possible drawbacks if you chose to go with EP and the support ended? What does it mean, what is a customer with EP really missing if there's no support?

I know companies who stopped paying IBM support fees, even for BI. One would've then needed to buy a new set of licences when upgrading... but when it comes to EP another company has had the apps running for years now without IBM support agreement, whatever it's called.

Of course upgrades to servers' OS that didn't comply with the EP installed would probably make a problem, but still, the possible end of support doesn't necessarily mean the usability of your apps ends right there, does it?