SAP Avoids EU Antitrust Fine by Opening Up Support Market
Brussels has accepted the German software group’s promises to let customers switch or end support contracts more easily, closing a probe without a penalty.
Background
The case dates to September 2025, when regulators opened an investigation into concerns that SAP’s practices restricted competition in the aftermarket for maintenance and support of its software. The worry was familiar in enterprise software: once a customer is locked into a core system, the terms attached to keeping it running can quietly foreclose rivals who might otherwise offer cheaper or better support.
SAP’s Response
SAP’s answer was a package of concessions rather than a fight. The company agreed to:
- Offer an alternative method for calculating licence fees on which maintenance and service charges are based.
- Scrap reinstatement fees and reduce back-maintenance charges for customers who leave and later return.
- Allow customers to terminate their licences in specific circumstances, including insolvency or bankruptcy.
These measures are designed to make leaving, pausing or switching SAP support a real option rather than a theoretical one. The commitments will apply globally and run for 10 years.
Impact
The outcome fits a pattern in the Commission’s recent enforcement. Rather than litigate to a fine and years of appeals, Brussels has increasingly used commitment decisions to extract behavioural change quickly. For SAP, avoiding a penalty and a formal infringement finding was crucial, as it would have handed ammunition to customers and rivals for years.
Conclusion
The concessions are not costless. Making it easier to leave, and cheaper to come back, chips away at the company’s hold on its customer base. Yet, framing these changes as customer-friendly helps SAP mitigate potential negative reactions while securing continued market dominance in the enterprise software space.