Atlassian has officially announced the end of life for its Data Center (on-premise) products, including Jira Software, Confluence, and Jira Service Management (JSM), effective March 28, 2029. For many organizations, this is a pivotal moment that will require strategic planning, budgeting, and execution to ensure business continuity. With Atlassian’s shift toward cloud-first innovation, now is the time to evaluate your options and create a migration strategy that aligns with your long-term goals.
At SPK and Associates, we specialize in helping organizations navigate this transition with as little impact to your teams as possible. In this blog, we’ll break down what this change means, the phased end-of-life timeline, and how SPK can support you every step of the way.
Atlassian’s Three-Stage Data Center End-of-Life Timeline
Atlassian is phasing out Data Center products in three key stages:
Stage 1 — March 30, 2026
In this phase, Atlassian will no longer sell Data Center products to new customers. No new Data Center licenses will be sold, and Atlassian Marketplace app sales to new customers will also cease. If you’re considering purchasing a new Data Center license, you must finalize it before this date.
Stage 2 — March 30, 2028
In this phase, Atlassian will not sell Data Center licenses to current customers, which includes license expansions for existing DC licenses. Additionally, existing DC customers will not be able to make Marketplace app purchases. This is the final window for expanding capacity or buying new licenses under Data Center agreements.
Stage 3 — March 28, 2029
This is the complete end of life of the Data Center product line. All Data Center subscriptions expire. Atlassian recommends that environments be transitioned to read-only for impacted products. Ongoing usage will require migration to Atlassian Cloud or alternative hosting strategies. Organizations must have completed migration by this point to avoid disruption.
Why Atlassian Is Moving to Cloud
Atlassian’s decision reflects broader industry trends toward cloud-first architectures. The key benefits of Atlassian Cloud are:
- Scalability: Automatically adjusts for growing teams and workloads.
- Performance: Optimized infrastructure with global availability.
- Security and Compliance: Enterprise-grade compliance, including SOC2, ISO, FedRAMP High and Impact Level 5, and more. See Atlassian’s compliance roadmap and public roadmap for more.
- Innovation: Continuous delivery of AI-powered features, automation, and integrations.
- Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Eliminate expensive server maintenance, hardware upgrades, and manual patching.
According to Atlassian, 75% of enterprises and regulated organizations already have a cloud footprint, and 99% of customers are either using or planning to move to Atlassian Cloud.
Risks of Delaying Your Migration
Waiting until 2028 or 2029 to start migration can expose your organization to significant risks:
- Operational Disruption – Once DC products reach end-of-life, you risk losing support, security patches, and critical fixes.
- Rising Costs – Licensing costs typically increase as deadlines approach, and support for hybrid models becomes harder to manage.
- Limited Migration Resources – As thousands of organizations begin migrating closer to the deadline, demand for qualified migration experts will surge, causing delays and increased costs.
SPK’s Atlassian Cloud Readiness Assessment
At SPK and Associates, we understand that no two organizations are alike. That’s why we offer a comprehensive Cloud Readiness Assessment designed to give you a clear, actionable migration roadmap.
What’s Included:
- Current State Analysis: Review your Jira, Confluence, and JSM environments.
- Cloud vs. Data Center Fit Gap Analysis: Understand impacts on security, compliance, and performance.
- Marketplace App assessment: Review existing marketplace apps and determine the upgrade or migration path.
- Tooling Audit: Evaluate your integrations for cloud compatibility.
- Custom Migration Strategy: Phased approach tailored to your organization’s needs.
- Cost and ROI Analysis: Quantify savings and benefits of moving to Atlassian Cloud.
SPK’s Data Center-to-Cloud Migration Services
Beyond assessment, SPK provides end-to-end migration support. Our Data Center to Cloud migration approach includes the following key components.
1. Migration Planning & Strategy
- Define project scope, timelines, and resource allocation.
- Develop rollback and contingency plans to mitigate risk.
2. Tool & Data Migration
- Migrate Jira, Confluence, and JSM instances with minimal downtime.
- Preserve permissions, workflows, dashboards, and reporting structures.
3. Marketplace App Rationalization & Integration
- Review your Marketplace apps for compatibility.
- Replace or consolidate tools to reduce technical debt.
4. Testing & Validation
- Conduct pre-migration sandboxes to validate performance.
- Ensure data integrity and compliance readiness.
5. Training & Change Management
- Upskill admins and end-users for Atlassian Cloud features.
- Provide documentation, workshops, and ongoing support.
How SPK Helps Regulated Enterprises
For companies in medical device, aerospace, automotive, and other regulated industries, migrating to the cloud comes with unique compliance considerations.
SPK brings deep expertise in:
- Data residency and sovereignty requirements
- FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and ISO 13485 compliance
- Integration with QMS, PLM, and ALM systems
- Secure authentication strategies using Atlassian Guard
Recommended Next Steps for Data Center to Cloud Migrations
With Atlassian’s Data Center end-of-life approaching, the time to act is now.
- Book a call with our team to discuss the Cloud Readiness Assessment → Get a personalized migration roadmap.
- Plan Early → Avoid bottlenecks by starting before 2028.
- Leverage SPK’s Expertise → Minimize risk, reduce downtime, and accelerate ROI.
Ascend to the Atlassian Cloud
Atlassian’s shift to a cloud-first future is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With SPK’s Atlassian Cloud Readiness Assessment and proven migration services, you can move with confidence and control. Start today, and position your organization to unlock the full power of Atlassian Cloud securely, efficiently, and without disruption.
