Atlassian is ending Data Center: next steps for you

When Atlassian announced it was sunsetting its Data Center line-up, it might have felt like a looming deadline for Data Center customers. But for those of us rooted in cloud-first thinking, it's a powerful signal—not an endpoint, but a beginning of something better.

Modernizing isn’t just about switching platforms—it’s about rethinking how your teams work, how you deliver value, and how you adapt to what’s next. With the right partner and strategy, this can be a moment to unlock resilience, reduce complexity, and focus on what truly matters.

What Atlassian announced (and why it matters)

Under the Ascend program, Atlassian is sunsetting Data Center to accelerate innovation in Atlassian Cloud, citing AI‑driven capabilities (e.g. Rovo AI), the Teamwork Graph, unified analytics, and enterprise scale and compliance as reasons Cloud is now the better long‑term fit for most customers. 

Timeline you need to plan around (23:59 PST on all dates):

• December 16, 2025: No new Data Center Marketplace app submissions.
  
• March 30, 2026: End of license sales to new customers for impacted Atlassian Data Center products and apps.
  
• March 30, 2028: End of license sales to existing customers (and no more app or license expansions).
  
• March 28, 2029: Data Center end of life (EOL): licenses expire and instances go read‑only; renewals are prorated only up to this date. Atlassian continues critical security bug fixes until EOL and may offer extended maintenance by exception after EOL.

Scope and exceptions

The EOL covers Jira Software DC, Jira Service Management DC, Confluence DC, Bamboo DC, Crowd DC, mobile/DC apps, and Marketplace DC apps. Jira Align DC is not included. Bitbucket shifts to a dual license (Datacenter + Cloud). 

What happens if you wait?

If you don’t engage with Atlassian or plan a move before March 28, 2029, your Data Center environment will expire and become read‑only. Updates and support stop; Atlassian advises against running read‑only DC instances on the public internet due to security risk. Back up your data. 

We can help you “Ascend” with less risk

As Atlassian Platinum Solution Partner with over 20 years of experience—and recognized multiple times as Partner of the Year, our team brings deep Cloud expertise and local support across Europe. We pair Atlassian’s Ascend resources (self‑service tools, FastShift for >1,000 users, and webinars) with our structured migration services:

1. Rapid readiness: Landscape audit (users, projects/spaces, Marketplace apps), compliance/residency mapping, downtime plan.
   
2. Target architecture: Cloud org, identity and access, Guard posture, data residency, backup/restore design.
3. Execution: Dry‑runs, test migrations, cutover orchestration; hybrid options while you phase workloads; Bitbucket dual‑license planning.
4. Adoption and value: Training, change management, and AI‑driven use‑case rollouts (search, automation, analytics). Atlassian cites improvements like faster decision‑making for many enterprise customers post‑migration.