Data Center End of Life Is Coming. How Can You Prepare Now? 

By now, you’ve probably heard the big news that’s shaking the Atlassian ecosystem: Atlassian is ending support for its Data Center products by March 2029 to focus on a Cloud-first strategy. 

This decision aligns with their goal to deliver faster innovation, enhanced security, and enhanced scalability through their Cloud platform.  

With the vast majority of their customer base already adopting or transitioning to Cloud, Atlassian sees their Cloud solutions as the best way to meet modern business needs like AI innovation and seamless team collaboration. 

In this blog, we’ll go over what you can expect over the next several years as Atlassian phases out its Data Center products and what your options are if your organization has not migrated to the Cloud. 

Reviewing the Data Center End of Life Timeline 

You can visit Atlassian’s site for a full, detailed Data Center end of life timeline, but here’s a quick summary of the most important dates to remember: 

March 2026: New customers will no longer be able to purchase new Data Center subscriptions or Marketplace apps. 

March 2028: Existing customers will no longer be able to purchase additional Data Center subscriptions or Marketplace apps. 

March 2029: Data Center products and Marketplace apps will no longer be supported. 

Immediate Next Steps for Your Organization  

While you don’t need to rush into a migration, as the 2029 deadline still leaves plenty of time for you to get it done, there are still some things you should be considering right now as you look ahead.  

Start Considering Your Budget  

You will want to have a budget in place long before you migrate to Cloud. Estimate what the cost of your license will be and start saving now, planning for potential future price increases that may occur before your migration actually takes place. 

Depending on your organization’s in-house capabilities, you may also need to budget for other expenses such as consulting fees. 

Evaluate Your Number of Users  

While Data Center has structured pricing tiers, Cloud allows you to pay for an exact number of users. When you’re planning your migration to Cloud, consider how many users you will have and if you need to scale back to meet budget constraints. 

If there are currently unused seats within your Data Center environment, you may be able to save some money by not bringing them to Cloud. On the other hand, migration is also a good opportunity to align your organization by bringing more teams into your Atlassian environment. 

Evaluate Your Atlassian Add-Ons  

As part of your planning and budgeting exercise, you will want to consider your Atlassian Marketplace add-ons. Do you know how many you have and what purpose they serve? Will you need to purchase any additional Marketplace apps after migration to gain crucial functionality? 

To help you determine which apps you will take to Cloud, make sure to read our blog on app strategies and factors to consider before your migration. 

Consolidating Diagramming Tools 

Migration can be a good time to consolidate certain add-ons that serve a similar purpose. 

If you currently have multiple diagramming tools in your Confluence instance and want to consolidate them for efficiency, it’s best to migrate your diagrams to Gliffy from other tools like draw.io before your migration to Cloud. This will allow for the smoothest and most direct migration possible. 

draw.io Bulk Migration Guide

Will Atlassian Cloud Meet My Organization’s Security Needs?  

Many longtime users of Data Center and those who moved there after Atlassian ended support for Server products in 2024 are there because of industry regulations or compliance standards.  

Naturally, a concern is that there won’t be a solution that works for them once Atlassian ends support for Data Center. However, Atlassian acknowledges the security concerns of these customers and has been working to make Cloud work for them. 

If you fall into this category, let’s take a look at the options that Atlassian has made available or announced for security-focused teams like yours:  

• Government Cloud: Multi-tenant architecture reserved for U.S. government agencies and industry partners. Early access available now.
• Isolated Cloud: Single-tenant architecture for organizations with the highest level of security requirements. Coming in 2026. 

These increased-security solutions can help you meet important security requirements such as: 

• Data residency control
• Zero data egress  
• Stricter access controls 

More information is still to come on these solutions, especially Isolated Cloud, so make sure to follow Atlassian’s updates. 

Diagram Securely in Confluence Cloud 

Looking into a security-first Cloud option? We're launching a new app to make sure you don’t leave your diagrams behind when you migrate. Gliffy Diagrams | Zero Egress & Isolated Cloud-Ready will be compatible with Atlassian’s Isolated Cloud products and ensures that no data ever leaves your Atlassian environment. 

Final Thoughts 

If your organization hasn't started preparing for migration to Cloud yet, the good news is you still have time. 

2026 or 2027, for example, aren’t “late” migration dates by any means. They’re still well before the 2029 deadline. But if you haven’t planned effectively, that timeline can slide back and suddenly, you’re getting much closer to that end of support date. 

If you want more insights while weighing your options, don’t miss our upcoming webinar, Your Path to Cloud Success: Migration Options and Gliffy Solutions. We’d love to see you there.