End of Support: How Vendor EoS Might Affect Your Business in 2026
January 23, 2026
3 min read
January 23, 2026
3 min read
Those three words that every organization dreads hearing: end of support. Nothing can derail your business momentum like the disruption that comes with your OEM vendor deciding that they will no longer support some of your mission-critical software and systems.
An untimely upgrade can cost your business, not just through increased support costs, but also through potential lost revenue caused by downtime due to unnecessary change. It is vital to stay aware of upcoming end of support dates so you can assess your software, consider your options before it’s too late, and plan your future accordingly.
For those unfamiliar, end of software support is when a vendor stops providing updates, security patches, bug fixes and technical help for a specific version of software. This leaves your software vulnerable to security and compliance issues moving forward without vendor support.
Approaching end of support dates often leave organizations thinking, “Why will the vendor no longer support my software even though it continues to function as needed?” The simple answer is that once software is stable and established, it often no longer aligns with the OEM vendor’s commercial priorities.
End of support usually requires the customer to undertake expensive, disruptive upgrades to move on to the next version or pay a premium for extended support if available. Both scenarios are significant revenue drivers for OEM vendors and are often actively promoted as the default path forward. It’s important that you understand your business needs and the options that are available to you to avoid unnecessary changes.
Across 2026, several widely used IBM enterprise software products will reach end of support, making it important to plan ahead to maintain business momentum.
Whether you’re using these products for data management, integrations and workflow, analytics and reporting, or file integration, it is important that you maintain confidence in their ability to operate the way you need them to. However, with frequent vendor mandated updates, you may find yourself playing catch-up rather than focusing on what actually moves the business forward.
Like so many others, you might find yourself stuck in an OEM vendor update cycle that is simply not serving your business’s best interests. Thankfully, there is an option available to you that means you can avoid unnecessary changes and expensive upgrades without losing critical support on your existing software.
Independent maintenance and support from Origina provides a tailored approach that keeps your software systems running long after vendor-driven end of support dates. Dedicated experts and a proactive approach to support and security means that, with Origina, you can keep your perpetually licensed software running without forced upgrades.
Turning over support of your trusted software to Origina can help you manage your technical debt, save on both short- and long-term costs, and maintain stability without unnecessary change. With a proactive, independent approach to maintenance and support Origina provides a flexible alternative to vendor-driven upgrade cycles—so you can keep control of your systems and your roadmap.
Gain insight into industry-only news, access to webinars, tips and tricks, blog posts, podcasts, and guides, surrounding topics like cybersecurity, reducing software support and maintenance costs and much more, all delivered to your inbox each month.
LEARN MORE
