Following its acquisition of Micro Focus, OpenText has implemented a more stringent policy regarding support renewals and term/subscription renewals.
This policy could increase your support costs.
Today I’ll explain how to minimise costs when renewing your OpenText software support or subscriptions.
Support for Outdated Releases
OpenText is enforcing a policy that impacts users running older versions of their software:
- Users on unsupported releases face additional support charges.
- This uplift in support will cost you approximately 20% more.
Staying current with your software versions is crucial to avoid these extra charges.
Let’s look at UFT One as an example:
- OpenText currently support UFT One 2021 and newer. However, UFT One 2021 is not in support for the whole of the next year.
- Calleo recommends upgrading to the latest release of UFT One to ensure that you avoid this extra charge and benefit from all the new features.
Policy Enforcement
While Micro Focus had a similar policy, it wasn’t strictly enforced. OpenText, however, is taking a more rigorous approach and will ask what release you are on as part of the renewal process.
- If the release is not supported—for the whole of the new support period—you will be charged for extended support at the time of renewal.
- If you request support while on an unsupported release, OpenText will require the extended support fee.
- I haven’t heard of additional penalty charges, but there may be some.
This additional charge can be easily avoided by keeping your software up-to-date.
Benefits of Staying Current
Regularly upgrading your test tools offers several advantages:
- Access to new features: Older versions may lack helpful new functionality.
- Improved Support for the applications you test: Often,when applications or operating systems get new releases, your test tools must be updated to support the changes.
- Improved performance and security: New releases often include important bug fixes and patches.
- Compliance with support policies: Avoid additional fees and ensure uninterrupted support.
Recommended Upgrade Frequency
To maximise benefits and minimise risks:
- Upgrade at least twice a year.
- Stay informed about the latest releases (see below).
- Then select What’s New in the Get Started menu.
For example, here is the UFT One What’s New page.
Stay Up to Date with Testing Times
Every month, we publish the latest releases of all the OpenText test tools with links to the online help.
Subscribe to the monthly Testing Times newsletter to view these and keep up-to-date with the latest releases and news.
By staying current with your OpenText software and being aware of these policies, you can ensure uninterrupted support and access to the latest features and avoid unexpected costs.
We can help you stay current and avoid additional costs.
