Technology-related products have an expected lifecycle: they do not last forever. The End of Service Life (EOSL), a technical term, applies somewhere between 6 to 12 years after the initial release date.
At the EOSL stage, the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) typically discontinues maintenance support, releasing software fixes, or new firmware updates. Occasionally, they offer to continue support at a substantially inflated cost.
Business leaders must pay attention to EOSL for company assets. For example, losing support for hardware equipment, components, and apps, results in unpatched software vulnerabilities and a lack of service improvements, and, it may limit replacement part availability. This introduces multiple business risks, including potential cyberattacks and system breakdowns.
In this article, we go into greater detail about EOSL and the right approach to managing it.
What is EOSL?
What is EOSL, and how to manage it for your business? Essentially, it is the date when the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) decides to stop supporting their product. For this reason, it is sometimes referred to as the End of Support Life.
It is often true that the EOSL date is 6 to 12 years from when the product was first released. However, business owners must account for the time gap between the original release and when they purchased the business equipment or software solution. Purchasing one year after the initial sale of the product, for example, shortens the time to EOSL accordingly.
An EOSL date reflects the manufacturer’s decision for when to end support of an older product. A nearer-term EOSL reflects a belief that the useful life of their product is shorter. For example, a platter-based hard drive typically has a shorter lifespan than a processor chip, which has no moving parts, therefore, a hard drive’s EOSL arrives sooner.
Reaching EOSL means no additional security, software refreshes, feature additions, and zero firmware updates for computer hardware. While the OEM may sell an extended support package beyond EOSL, these are inconsistently offered, limited in scope, and often overpriced.
Depending on the hardware or software the EOSL applies to, a managed service provider like Microbyte can provide affordable service plans. This fills the gap for maintenance and support.
End of Service Life (EOSL) versus End of Life (EOL)
End of Service Life is not to be confused with End of Life (EOL). EOSL and EOL are separate manufacturing terms and are not interchangeable. EOL is usually between three to six years from the initial release date.
The EOL is a line in the sand. From the EOL date, the OEM no longer produces, sells, or markets the product. Also, hardware that is refurbishable is usually discontinued too.
Once the EOL has passed, manufacturers limit the availability of replacement components. Improvements to the original part design are no longer pursued either. On the software side, firmware releases slow down. Also, software drivers for computer hardware are not usually updated to permit compatibility with newly released operating systems.
Once the EOL status confirms the date has passed, OEMs should maintain a more regular update schedule for their best-selling products. The service drop-off is most noticeable for less essential parts and hardware.
The Impact of EOSL on Your Business
The numerous business risks associated with End of Service Life hardware and software after their respective EOSL dates are substantial.
Below, we explain 4 of the major risks:
1. Cyberattack Vulnerability
Businesses face increased security vulnerabilities from all directions. Software maintenance is crucial for maintaining operational security. Effective risk management necessitates regularly patching software. Business continuity is a major factor here.
IT hardware, such as routers, requires new firmware to resolve security vulnerabilities and eliminate bugs. Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) updates for IT systems and software patches for commercially available apps are needed too.
Without firmware fixes and app updates, unsupported software seriously impacts your business. This applies to open-source software too. It leaves the operation extremely vulnerable to potential cyberattacks. Hackers aim to exploit vulnerabilities in unpatched equipment and software used.
Attempting to reduce expenditures by letting purchased equipment or software reach EOSL is a false economy. Unexpected system downtime, ransomware attacks, and a loss of customer confidence are all highly damaging.
2. Degraded Hardware Performance/Increased Failure Rates
Following EOSL, performance degradation is a growing irritation. Even in the best-case scenario, hardware matures quickly becoming less reliable with time. Downtime creates operational risks, affecting employees who depend on reliable equipment to perform their work.
Parts inevitably wear down or wear out. The availability of replacement parts is questionable with an OEM. Without an essential part, the entire hardware becomes unusable.
Sometimes, third-party manufacturers produce parts that the OEM no longer does. However, do not rely on this.
3. Software Compatibility Issues
Increasingly, companies require apps to share data using Application Processing Interfaces (APIs) and other methods. So, they need to be working correctly.
The list of supported apps is not always extensive. Whether newer EOL software or older EOSL software, they both go unsupported because it is assumed few companies still use them.
Legitimate concerns over potential vulnerabilities in older apps create further compatibility issues. The lack of cooperation between software solution providers worsens over time.
Introducing new software inside the business creates fresh difficulties with older apps. To solve the problem, companies need to update all the software together.
4. Emergency Replacements
If a total failure occurs, immediately source hardware replacements. This process often takes more time than anticipated and interrupts business operations.
With long outdated software, concurrent updates for multiple apps ensure interoperability. Transferring data from old applications to new ones is not easy and requires specialists. Microbyte is ready to offer support in this process.
Best Practices for Managing EOSL
It is important to use a few best practices to manage EOL and EOSL dates in your business:
Here are a few suggestions:
Track Inventory – Companies are already required to track assets for their balance sheets. We recommend tracking the life cycle status of all assets. This should drill down to all the parts including, for example, replaceable parts inside a laptop. Periodically checking up on part availability is a useful barometer for monitoring continued availability.
Third-Party Maintenance – Talk with third-party maintenance providers, such as Microbyte, about extended support after warranty expiry and OEM product support ends. OEM extended support is prohibitively costly. Discuss it with a third-party provider for a more competitive deal.
A Systems-Based Approach to EOSL – A systematic approach to EOSL is valuable. Adopt a standardised plan to introduce better controls and remove negative surprises.
Depreciated Software Components Put Security at Risk
Software apps, or one or more of the technologies they rely upon, sometimes require replacing. This applies even when the underlying operating system is still usable.
For example, Bleeping Computer has reported that Microsoft depreciated NT Lan Manager (NTLM) authentication technologies used by older Windows Servers and Windows Operating Systems. A new application layer, known as Microsoft Negotiate, is a recommended replacement.
Without changing authentication methodologies, Active Directory (AD) databases are vulnerable to sophisticated phishing attacks.
Tools and Resources
IT asset management software assists businesses in keeping track of every asset. Accounting departments use it to identify, track, and label individual assets, including PCs, printers, and more. However, asset tracking for EOSL must go a step further.
Robust solutions are required to track all parts inside a device like dedicated graphics cards, sound cards, and memory chips inside a desktop PC: not just the PC.
Suggested asset management software includes:
- Jira Service Management: Comprehensive software for asset tracking, inventory management, audit management, and compliance requirements.
- Fixed Asset Management Information System (FMIS): Cloud-based system to track assets from anywhere.
- Ninja One: Asset tracking, maintenance optimisation, and compliance features.
Useful Additional Reading
In February 2024, the UK online magazine Business Matters provided a useful guide for navigating EOSL matters.
Also, the IT Management 101 blog published an EOL software best practices article to help navigate the challenges of EOL.
Conclusion
EOSL marks when assets, like hardware and software, have reached the end of their useful life. As they are no longer manufactured and sold, with no future firmware or software updates anticipated, it is time to pay attention. Without replacements or viable third-party support options, businesses risk suffering a cyberattack or a sudden equipment breakdown.
Companies must proactively monitor upcoming EOSL dates for all assets. EOSL management solutions from Microbyte remove or reduce frustrations associated with managing older business assets. Access to high-quality EOSL support is only a phone call away.
