Errol Schmidt February 21, 2026

A conversation between Errol (reinteractive) and Jeff Gori (Aquiva Labs)

As Salesforce pivots its focus toward AI and Agentforce, Heroku (the pioneer of easy Ruby on Rails deployment) has been moved to a Sustaining Engineering Model. This article breaks down what this means for ISVs and Enterprise leaders, the technical risks involved, and how to manage your contract spend during this transition.

Key Fact: This is not an immediate shutdown. It is a strategic pivot. You can still buy and use Heroku, but the “revolutionary” updates that defined its early years (2010–2020) have concluded.

Navigation: Quick Insights

[06:45] What “Sustaining Engineering” actually means:
Jeff explains the shift from innovation to maintenance mode.

[08:55] The Timeline: How long do you have?
Discussing the “runway” before the platform moves toward end-of-life.

[14:25] Technical Risks: Heroku Connect and Applink:
A deep dive into the features that are most difficult to replace.

[24:02] The ISV & Enterprise Impact:
Breaking down the specific risks for AppExchange partners versus large companies.

[29:59] The 3 Phases of a Successful Migration:
Errol and Jeff outline the Pre-planning, Cutover, and Management stages.

[35:07] The Opportunity:
Why a platform shift is a catalyst for innovation and solving old technical debt.

[38:24] Contractual Risks:
What to do if you just signed an Enterprise Agreement (EA) with Salesforce.

[40:41] Budget Flexibility:
How to shift Heroku spend to other active Salesforce products.

[42:28] The Ideal Scene:
Re-engineering your process for the AI era rather than just “moving boxes.”

[44:49] The 18-Month Warning:
Staying ahead of the curve so you aren’t caught off guard by future “End of Sale” notices.

The Reality Check: Why This Happened

The shift was driven by two primary factors that every CTO should consider:

1. Revenue vs. Innovation: As a public company, Salesforce prioritises high-growth sectors like AI. Heroku’s revenue model didn’t justify the parallel investment required to keep it ahead of competitors.

2. Market Saturation: In 2010, Heroku was unique. Today, AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud have caught up in ease of use, often at a lower price point.

Technical Fact Sheet: What is at Risk?

If your infrastructure relies on these specific tools, your “exit path” planning should start now:

The Strategy: Moving with “Alacrity”

Jeff and I (Errol) emphasise that while there is no need to panic, there is a need to plan. Migration isn’t just about moving code; it’s about managing the Run.

The 3 Phases of Migration

1. Pre-Planning: Auditing toolsets, determining target environment sizing (e.g., AWS), and mapping data dependencies.

2. The Cutover: The high-stakes phase where the switch is flipped. This requires “cool, calm” experts to ensure zero data loss.

3. Ongoing Management: Moving to a new platform means you are now responsible for the “platform” itself—security, 24/7 uptime, and scaling.

The Silver Lining: A Catalyst for Re-Engineering

While “Sustaining Engineering” signals the end of Heroku’s innovation, it serves as a strategic trigger for enterprises. Many organisations are using this shift to move beyond legacy “workarounds” and adopt modern data and AI platforms that didn’t exist when their Heroku stacks were first built.

Key Fact: Managing your tech stack like a Product Owner rather than a passive user helps mitigate change management issues. This transition is an opportunity to solve long-standing transaction or data-row limitations.

Navigating Salesforce Enterprise Agreements (EAs)

A common concern for CTOs is the “Fresh Contract” trap - having signed a 1–3 year deal just before the announcement.

Managing Your Spend

If you have a significant committed spend on Heroku, you are not necessarily “stuck.” Salesforce operates on a massive sales engine where budget fluidity is often possible.

• Contractual Pivot: It is often possible to shift Heroku licensing spend toward other growth areas, such as Data Cloud or Agentforce.

• Account Strategy: Engage your Account Executive early. While Heroku innovation is stalling, Salesforce is highly motivated to keep your total contract value (TCV) by moving those dollars to active products.

Comparison: Staying vs. Pivoting

The Future Scene: Building for “Humans”

The consensus between reinteractive and Aquiva Labs is that the future of software isn’t just about “boxes and servers,” but about how data serves the human end-user.

1. Stay Educated: The businesses that fail are those that “pop up” 18 months from now surprised by an “End of Sale” notice.

2. Audit Your Processes: Use this technical reason to justify the ROI of re-engineering processes that haven’t been touched in years.

3. Expert Management: Transitioning off Heroku is a three-phase process (Planning, Cutover, and 24/7 Management). Attempting this without a specialised team increases the risk of “unexpected lapses” in a world where 100% uptime is expected.

Expert Takeaway

“We wear the pagers so you don’t have to.” — reinteractive Team Motto

Whether you are an ISV partner with an app on the App Exchange or an enterprise customer with millions of rows of data, the goal is risk mitigation. You don’t need to leave Heroku tomorrow, but you do need an architected solution for the day the “sustaining” ends.

Next Steps for Your Team

If you are currently evaluating your Heroku footprint or staring at an Enterprise Agreement you no longer feel reflects your technical roadmap, we can help you architect the exit path. https://reinteractive.com/contact-us

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