End of Life – we know. It sounds scary. Don’t worry, it’s not! The nature of technology is that it is always changing. The technology product life cycle moves fast. Developers are continuously working to streamline, improve, and generally make technology work better. Software updates fix bugs and make programs work more efficiently. Yes, sometimes features or functionality are changed or removed, but when a program is updated, it takes a step forward.
As products mature, market demands shift, and innovation drives changes in technology development, older programs are replaced by technology that performs better, faster, and more efficiently.
This is a typical part of the overall product life cycle – meaning, it happens to every product, eventually. We know that when programs approach their end of life, it presents an opportunity for business owners to think about how they’re currently leveraging technology. EOL situations are also a great time to evaluate new technology options.
So, What is End of Life, Exactly?
EOL refers to the final stages of a product’s serviceable life. As hardware or software products become obsolete, vendors stop providing standard support services. That means technical support and upgrades will no longer be available to customers using that particular piece of technology.
One of the biggest challenges associated with EOL is disposing of outdated technology. Techopedia explains that “for hardware devices, this means physically disposing old devices and installing newer versions. For software systems, it means ‘weaning’ legacy systems or migrating applications to newer platforms in order to discard or change old systems.”
What happens when the new features of a product update don’t quite fit what a business needs? Or, if functionality a business uses every day isn’t included in newer versions? Oftentimes, a business will decide to forgo an upgrade and keep using their current program. That’s exactly how EOL situations come to light.
If you decide to keep using outdated technology, you may be putting your data and your business at risk. Without continued support, bug fixes, and upgrades, products or operating systems may longer be secure – leaving your business vulnerable to cyber security threats. Certain industries may face legal complications if they continue to use obsolete hardware and/or software. Lastly, using outdated technology is risky to productivity and can end up costing you more to maintain (and fix) than simply upgrading in the first place.
Our End of Life Approach
We don’t want you to put your business at risk. That’s why we keep close tabs on the technology our clients are using and recommend staying current with software updates. The Integris team makes every effort to stay up-to-date on the technology we offer – that way we’re always ready to help our clients upgrade to the newest and most appropriate technology solution for their business.
When we become aware of an EOL product, we work with our clients to devise a game plan. Depending on the situation, we may:
- Conduct a gap analysis
- Conduct a Cloud Assessment Readiness Evaluation
- Offer Hardware as a Rental service
- Weigh the options of migration vs. upgrading
Is Your Business Technology at Risk?
Our core partners, Microsoft, VMware, Cisco, and HP, work hard to keep their technology up-to-date. New releases present enhancements and opportunities to leverage technology that makes your business run more smoothly.
But keeping up with all the changes in the product life cycle is a challenge. That’s where Integris comes in with Hardware/Software Lifecycle Management.
