SAP ECS is now GCO: what it does and doesn't do in RISE
The SAP team that runs the technical layer of RISE with SAP has a new name: what you knew as SAP Enterprise Cloud Services (ECS) is now Global Cloud Operations (GCO). The name is new, but the underlying question is the same: what GCO does for your system and what still falls to your team.
In short
Updated October 30, 2026- Current name
- Global Cloud Operations (GCO). If your contract, SAP for Me or your dCEM still says ECS, it refers to the same team.
- What it runs
- The technical layer: infrastructure, operating system, HANA database, kernel and the execution of what your company requests.
- What it doesn't
- Everything on the application side: code notes, transports, third-party add-ons, testing and coordination with SAP.
What GCO runs
On RISE with SAP, GCO is responsible for keeping the technical platform running. That includes:
- Infrastructure and operating system, either on a hyperscaler or in an SAP data center.
- SAP HANA database, with its backups and the disaster recovery you have contracted.
- Kernel and technical layer patches, security patches included. When a vulnerability is severe, GCO can apply the patch mandatorily, as happened with OVERPASS.
- The technical execution of updates, maintenance windows and changes your company requests.
What GCO doesn't do
This is where most post Go-Live surprises come from. GCO does not replace a customer-side Basis team. It does not:
- Implement code notes with SNOTE or decide which notes apply to your Support Package level. Every month SAP Security Patch Day brings notes that fall to your team.
- Decide when to update. GCO executes the update, but planning, scope and testing are yours.
- Support third-party add-ons, interfaces or business jobs that SAP does not include in the contract.
- Follow up for you. Tickets, Top Issues and risk letters need someone on your side who sees them through to closure.
- Decide which data to clean up before a capacity expansion.
How to work with GCO day to day
Service requests. Planned work, such as a maintenance window, an update or a technical change, is requested from GCO through a service request in SAP for Me. Request it early, because each request has its own lead time.
Incidents. When something breaks, the channel is an incident in the SAP support portal, with the right priority and the technical information GCO needs to act without back and forth.
The dCEM. Your dCEM coordinates topics that need follow-up, such as an open Top Issue, a window that has not been scheduled or an exception about to expire. It is your contact for escalating when something gets stuck.
Dates GCO sets. For critical security topics, GCO can set its own dates. With OVERPASS, applying the patch became mandatory on October 29, 2026, and the only way to postpone it was a risk letter exception requested no later than October 23, valid only until November. Someone on your side has to keep track of those deadlines.
Frequently asked questions
Are SAP ECS and SAP GCO the same? Yes. Global Cloud Operations is the current name of the team formerly called Enterprise Cloud Services.
Does GCO provide day-to-day Basis support? Not entirely. GCO runs the technical layer and application-side operations remain with your team. We explain it in more detail in what is SAP and what is RISE with SAP.
How do I request something from GCO? With a service request in SAP for Me for planned work, an incident when something breaks and your dCEM when a topic needs follow-up.
If you want someone on your side to own the relationship with GCO, from requests to deadlines, let's talk.