Oracle has ended standard support for JD Edwards World, a longstanding ERP software for IBM i that has served many companies well for years.
In this blog, we explain the important details you need to know if your business relies on JD Edwards World. While your organization will need to plan for a new support strategy, it does not need to give up its JD Edwards ERP system if it is still providing strong value. Third-party support can help.
JD Edwards World Standard Vendor Support Ended April 2022: What is the best path forward for World customers?
Back in April 2020, Oracle released a roadmap document that illuminated their future plans for JD Edwards (which came as part of Oracle’s $10 billion acquisition of PeopleSoft in 2004). Oracle's full lineup of JD Edwards products included both JD Edwards World, an RPG-based version designed specifically for IBM i, and the EnterpriseOne line, which runs on IBM i in addition to Windows, Unix, and Linux. This roadmap made clear that while Oracle promises continued support for EnterpriseOne through at least December 2031, premier support for World would extend only to April 2022.
IT Jungle provides a more detailed breakdown of Oracle’s support roadmap for JD Edwards here. While extended support agreements will give some World customers tax and regulatory updates through 2025, “any future enhancements, regulatory updates, and technology improvements will be delivered on the A9.4 code base [originally launched in 2015] under the Premier Support timeline. In other words, don’t expect a major new release of World, and don’t expect any new functionality or application enhancements after April 2022.”
With April in the rearview mirror, organizations that rely on JD Edwards World face an urgent need to either migrate to a new ERP software or find an alternative source for skilled service and support. Based on our experience working with many different business-critical ERP applications, the best option will depend on your organization’s specific needs. If your ERP is failing to keep up with core business requirements, an upgrade may be in order. But if your ERP is continuing to perform well across its core functions, and only requires targeted updates and enhancements, the risk, cost, and disruption of switching ERP systems may not be worth it.
Our ERP self-assessment resource, available here, provides a systematic method for evaluating whether it’s better to replace or “refresh” your ERP. As we note in this resource, support availability is a critical factor to consider. In this case, the right third-party support team should be able to help your JD Edwards World implementation continue to deliver exceptional value for years to come.
Work with the PSGi Team to Identify the Best Support Strategy for Your JDE World ERP Software
Just because Oracle is dropping support doesn’t mean you need to give up on your JD Edwards World ERP system! PSGi specializes in providing services and support for legacy ERP systems that continue to deliver strong business value, including heavily modified systems and software versions that no longer receive support from the original software vendor. We have the expertise needed to not only keep your JDE World software running, but continue to add new functionality or upgrade to newer releases (including Enterprise One, when required to keep up with changing business needs.
If you would like to discuss the best path forward for your JDE World ERP system, we encourage you to reach out to our team using the button below.
