What is Technology End of Life?
The beginning of the year is always a good time to check in with your IT vendor to see what, if any, of the software or hardware you have may be reaching its end-of-life (EOL) or end-of-service (EOS). Technology end-of-life is an important aspect of your network and should be managed closely. It essentially means that a piece of software or hardware is in its final stages of existence, or has already expired, and needs to be replaced. Subsequently, the manufacturers of the software/hardware will no longer offer any type of support for end-of-life products past a date that they determine. This generally happens when the software/hardware is obsolete or has been replaced by something better.
Related to hardware end-of-life, Matt wrote this informative piece on The Cost of Old IT Equipment a few years ago, and we encourage you to check it out. The idea of hardware wearing out may be clear to you, but often EOL for software is a more nebulous concept. We’ll dive into that a little below.
Why End-of-Life Matters to You
Not replacing EOL technology could pose substantial security risks. If the software/hardware that is being phased out is not upgraded, any software patches, bug fixes, and security upgrades will stop. The software companies or hardware manufacturers who once offered support for their technology will suspend that support – leaving you with no place to turn for help. Additionally, the risk is even greater for organizations that must comply with government or industry regulations – think financial institutions or municipalities.
In addition to the security risk of not replacing EOL technology, organizations may face significant downtime if a problem arises. For example, consider a business that chooses not to replace their firewall, which has reached its end-of-life date. When a network outage occurs, they contact their IT vendor for support. The network engineer explains that the firewall is outdated and no longer supported, meaning critical patches and updates are unavailable.
The IT team provides a quote for a replacement firewall and the associated labor to install and configure it – along with re-establishing secure connectivity for the entire network. Depending on the vendor’s schedule, this upgrade project may take several days or even weeks to complete. During this time, the business is left vulnerable to further network issues or cyberattacks, potentially experiencing costly operational downtime. This unexpected expense and downtime could have been avoided with proactive planning, ensuring the firewall was replaced before its end-of-life date.
So What EOL Products Should I Be Aware of in 2025?
As an example, Microsoft will end support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. Subsequently, the operating system will no longer receive security updates, leaving systems vulnerable to new threats. Users are encouraged to upgrade to Windows 11 to maintain security and functionality. Related to this change, support for Microsoft 365 Office applications running on Windows 10 will also end on October 14, 2025. While the apps may continue to function, they will not receive updates, potentially leading to performance and reliability issues. A more extensive list of products expiring follows.
Microsoft Products: All expiring October 14, 2025
- Windows 10
- Microsoft Office 2016 and Office 2019
- Exchange Server 2016 and Exchange Server 2019
- Skype for Business Server 2015 and 2019
- Visual Studio 2015
SQL Server Products:
- SQL Server 2019
- Mainstream Support: Ends on January 7, 2025.
- Extended Support: Ends on January 8, 2030.
VMware Products: Expiring April 2, 2025
- VMware vSphere 7.0
SonicWall Products:
SonicWall TZ Series
- TZ300, TZ300W, SOHO: January 23, 2025
SonicWall NSA Series
- NSA 3600, NSA 4600, NSA 5600: The last day to order a one-year support contract is March 2, 2025 and EOS is set for March 3, 2026
If you’d like to hear more about EOL technology and why it matters to your business network, enjoy the additional blog post below and a podcast we did on annal “check-ups” for your IT equipment and network. Questions? Email us at info@btsmaine.com for a network consultation. We can work with you to identify options for equipment replacement and software upgrade tailored to your business’ needs.
End-of-Life Technology & Why It Matters to You | BTS Maine
IT Sucks Podcast: Fall Maintenance For Your Computer Network
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