What happens when the included support & maintenance ends?

All commercial and academic licenses are perpetual, meaning the product will continue to operate the same way as it does before and after the maintenance period expires.

After the first 12 months, your software maintenance will expire and you will no longer be able to receive technical support or software updates. Renewing your software maintenance is done purely at your discretion and can be renewed in advance of your maintenance expiration to ensure uninterrupted access to the support and software updates.

You may wish to read the What are the benefits of renewing software maintenance?.

Note: Maintenance renewals commence from the date the previous maintenance period expires, regardless of when the maintenance renewal was purchased.