--- title: What Do End-Of-Support and End-Of-Life Dates Really Mean? description: We'd like to give you a little insight as to what end-of-support dates are, what end-of-life means, as well as what your action items should be when your IT team tells you that one of these is approaching. image: https://blog.fivenines.com/hubfs/What%20Do%20End-Of-Support%20and%20End-Of-Life%20Dates%20Featured%20Image.png --- [Skip to the main content.](https://blog.fivenines.com/end-of-support-and-end-of-life#main-content) 1-855-817-5959    [help@fivenines.com](mailto:help@fivenines.com) [![FN_Reverse_Logo](https://blog.fivenines.com/hs-fs/hubfs/FN_Reverse_Logo.png?width=3022&height=849&name=FN_Reverse_Logo.png "FN_Reverse_Logo")](https://fivenines.com/) [![FiveNinesPrimaryLogo](https://blog.fivenines.com/hs-fs/hubfs/FiveNinesPrimaryLogo.png?width=3022&height=849&name=FiveNinesPrimaryLogo.png "FiveNinesPrimaryLogo")](https://fivenines.com/) - [Solutions](https://fivenines.com/solutions/) - [Managed IT Services](https://fivenines.com/solutions/managed-it-services/) - [Cybersecurity Services](https://fivenines.com/solutions/cybersecurity/) - [Cloud & Productivity](https://fivenines.com/solutions/cloud-productivity/) - [Projects & Enhancements](https://fivenines.com/solutions/it-projects/) - [Placement Services](https://fivenines.com/solutions/onsite-it/) - Industries - [Finance & Banking](https://fivenines.com/industries/banking/) - [Healthcare](https://fivenines.com/industries/healthcare/) - [Legal](https://fivenines.com/industries/legal/) - [Nonprofit](https://fivenines.com/industries/non-profit/) - [Manufacturing & Logistics](https://fivenines.com/industries/manufacturing-logistics/) - [Small & Mid-Sized Businesses](https://fivenines.com/industries/smb/) - [Insights](https://fivenines.com/resources/) - [Resource Library](https://fivenines.com/resources/) - [Blog](https://blog.fivenines.com) - [About](https://fivenines.com/about/) - [About Five Nines](https://fivenines.com/about/) - [Leadership Team](https://fivenines.com/our-team/) - [Community Impact](https://fivenines.com/community/) - [Partnerships](https://fivenines.com/partnerships/) - [Careers](https://fivenines.com/careers/) - [Company News](https://fivenines.com/news/) Let's Talk Get Support Toggle Menu Toggle Menu Let's Talk Get Support - [Solutions](https://fivenines.com/solutions/) - [Managed IT Services](https://fivenines.com/solutions/managed-it-services/) - [Cybersecurity Services](https://fivenines.com/solutions/cybersecurity/) - [Cloud & Productivity](https://fivenines.com/solutions/cloud-productivity/) - [Projects & Enhancements](https://fivenines.com/solutions/it-projects/) - [Placement Services](https://fivenines.com/solutions/onsite-it/) - Industries - [Finance & Banking](https://fivenines.com/industries/banking/) - [Healthcare](https://fivenines.com/industries/healthcare/) - [Legal](https://fivenines.com/industries/legal/) - [Nonprofit](https://fivenines.com/industries/non-profit/) - [Manufacturing & Logistics](https://fivenines.com/industries/manufacturing-logistics/) - [Small & Mid-Sized Businesses](https://fivenines.com/industries/smb/) - [Insights](https://fivenines.com/resources/) - [Resource Library](https://fivenines.com/resources/) - [Blog](https://blog.fivenines.com) - [About](https://fivenines.com/about/) - [About Five Nines](https://fivenines.com/about/) - [Leadership Team](https://fivenines.com/our-team/) - [Community Impact](https://fivenines.com/community/) - [Partnerships](https://fivenines.com/partnerships/) - [Careers](https://fivenines.com/careers/) - [Company News](https://fivenines.com/news/) # What Do End-Of-Support and End-Of-Life Dates Really Mean? [Five Nines Team](https://blog.fivenines.com/author/five-nines) : Dec 21, 2018, 2:56:44 PM 2 min read [IT Tips & Tricks](https://blog.fivenines.com/topic/it-tips-tricks) ![What Do End-Of-Support and End-Of-Life Dates Really Mean?](https://blog.fivenines.com/hubfs/What%20Do%20End-Of-Support%20and%20End-Of-Life%20Dates%20Featured%20Image.png) *TL;DR* - End-of-support and end-of-life dates mean your tech is aging out — plan upgrades before security and reliability become a problem. - When a product hits end-of-support or end-of-life, you lose vendor help and updates. Treat those dates as your cue to replace or modernize. - Don’t ignore lifecycle dates. Review them with IT early so you can budget and upgrade on your schedule, not in a crisis. Have you ever run into technological terms where you don't fully understand their meaning? Have you felt this way when hearing your technology is approaching "end-of-life" or that a product has an upcoming "end-of-support" date? We'd like to give you a little insight as to what end-of-support dates are, what end-of-life means, as well as what your action items should be when your IT team tells you that one of these is approaching. This way, you will know what your engineer is talking about, and you will have peace of mind when navigating upcoming changes.   ## End-Of-Support dates So, what does end-of-support actually mean? It's just how it sounds. This is put into place when a company decides to stop providing support on a specific product or service. Oftentimes this occurs when newer software or hardware is released, and support for the older version is no longer provided. Think about it this way, whenever your technology breaks, freezes, or simply isn't working correctly, you pick up the phone and call a support line. Imagine not being able to call a support line for one of your products. If something breaks and you're in that position, it becomes a larger problem as it may not have an easy fix. This is why updating your software and hardware, and paying attention to end-of-support dates is so important.   ## End-Of-Life Dates End-of-life dates are slightly different, as this is the date when the product goes end-of-sale. Utilizing end-of-life hardware can be especially risky, as businesses could experience compromised data security, decreased productivity, higher maintenance costs, problems with scalability, as well as non-compliance. According to the [State of IT Study](https://www.spiceworks.com/marketing/state-of-it/report/) conducted by Spiceworks, end-of-life is the top driver of new technological purchases as it was reported 57% of purchases were motivated by end-of-life. In fact, 62% of small businesses are driven to purchase new technology due to end-of-life dates that are fast approaching.   ## Business Reviews & Budgeting So, what should you do when you hear end-of-support or end-of-life dates that apply to your business are approaching? It's important to set a meeting with your main IT contacts to cover all of your bases. Take time to discuss all of your current products, what you should keep, what isn't necessary, and which of your hardware or software is approaching an end-of-support or end-of-life date. Even if the date is a year away, they tend to sneak up on you, so it's always good to start the discussion in order to be prepared ahead of time. From there, you will have a clear picture that will help you to budget and prioritize for the upcoming year. You will have the opportunity to really plan ahead and allocate your IT budget dollars in the right places. [![CONTACT FIVE NINES](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/1857420/406a9f41-1834-4f19-b8e8-06be70b2d7a9.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/1857420/406a9f41-1834-4f19-b8e8-06be70b2d7a9) For free presentation slides from the 2018 NE Tech Summit titled, "End-of-Life: The Technology Graveyard", click below. This presentation will provide you with tools to create an end-of-life management plan, and will outline upcoming and recent end-of-life dates you should be aware of ## Frequently asked questions What does “end-of-support” actually mean for my business? End-of-support is the point when a vendor stops providing help, updates, and fixes for a product or service. If something breaks after this date, you may be on your own — no security patches, no bug fixes, and no official technical assistance — making outages harder and more expensive to resolve. How is “end-of-life” different from “end-of-support”? End-of-life typically means the product is no longer sold and is being phased out entirely in favor of newer versions. Often, end-of-life is followed (or accompanied) by end-of-support, which means you may be running critical systems on obsolete, potentially insecure technology that is only getting riskier over time. Why is running end-of-life hardware and software risky? Older, unsupported systems stop receiving security updates, making them attractive targets for attackers. They can also cause downtime, compatibility issues with newer tools, higher maintenance costs, and potential compliance problems — especially in regulated industries where up-to-date, supported software is often required. What should I do when my IT team says something is nearing end-of-support or end-of-life? Schedule a review with your key IT contacts to understand exactly which systems are affected, how critical they are, and what your options are. Use that discussion to decide what to replace, what to retire, and what to keep temporarily — then fold those choices into your IT roadmap and upcoming budget. How can we avoid being surprised by these dates in the future? Ask your IT team or provider to maintain an inventory of your hardware and software along with their end-of-support and end-of-life timelines. Review this list at least annually as part of your strategic planning and budgeting cycle, so you can plan upgrades proactively instead of reacting to last-minute deadlines. ## Related Blog Posts [![The IT Software Life Cycle: 3 Things To Know](https://blog.fivenines.com/hubfs/Blog%20Feature%20Images/102023_Lifecycle-Refresh.jpg)](https://blog.fivenines.com/it-software-life-cycle) #### [The IT Software Life Cycle: 3 Things To Know](https://blog.fivenines.com/it-software-life-cycle) Your organization's users interact with different IT software platforms every single day, so it's important to ensure they are not playing a role in... [Cybersecurity](https://blog.fivenines.com/topic/cybersecurity) [IT Tips & Tricks](https://blog.fivenines.com/topic/it-tips-tricks) [Read More](https://blog.fivenines.com/it-software-life-cycle) [![Preparing for Windows 10 End-of-Support and End-of-Life](https://blog.fivenines.com/hubfs/Blog%20Feature%20Images/042025_Windows10EOL.png)](https://blog.fivenines.com/windows-10-end-of-life) #### [Preparing for Windows 10 End-of-Support and End-of-Life](https://blog.fivenines.com/windows-10-end-of-life) Support for Microsoft Windows 10 ends October 14, 2025. After this date, Microsoft will no longer provide free security updates, patches, or any... [Cybersecurity](https://blog.fivenines.com/topic/cybersecurity) [Strategic Planning](https://blog.fivenines.com/topic/strategic-planning) [Tech Trends](https://blog.fivenines.com/topic/tech-trends) [Compliance](https://blog.fivenines.com/topic/compliance) [IT Tips & Tricks](https://blog.fivenines.com/topic/it-tips-tricks) [Read More](https://blog.fivenines.com/windows-10-end-of-life) [![The Benefits of Promptly Replacing Old Computers](https://blog.fivenines.com/hubfs/BENEFITS%20OF%20REPLACING-1.png)](https://blog.fivenines.com/prompty-replacing-old-computers) #### [The Benefits of Promptly Replacing Old Computers](https://blog.fivenines.com/prompty-replacing-old-computers) As long as old computers are still running with limited problems, they don't need to be replaced...right? It may seem easy to place these updates on... [IT Services](https://blog.fivenines.com/topic/it-services) [Business Continuity](https://blog.fivenines.com/topic/business-continuity) [IT Tips & Tricks](https://blog.fivenines.com/topic/it-tips-tricks) [Read More](https://blog.fivenines.com/prompty-replacing-old-computers) ## Let's get in touch   [**(402) 817-2630**](tel:402-817-2630) [help@fivenines.com](mailto:help@fivenines.com) [Lincoln, NE](https://fivenines.com/contact/lincoln) [Omaha, NE](https://fivenines.com/contact/omaha) [Kearney, NE](https://fivenines.com/contact/kearney) [Central City, NE](https://fivenines.com/contact/central-city) [St. Louis, MO](https://fivenines.com/st-louis) ![cyberverify-1](https://blog.fivenines.com/hs-fs/hubfs/cyberverify-1.png?width=110&height=110&name=cyberverify-1.png)![aicpa](https://blog.fivenines.com/hs-fs/hubfs/aicpa.png?width=110&height=110&name=aicpa.png) ### Are we a good fit? [![Schedule Consultation](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/1857420/interactive-196258273705.png)](https://blog.fivenines.com/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLLTTD8JbdbjA8unYtxqxjCYYhzqQw5SOmsFq6WXImH7Y9zoiOFovJamyJ0trOIDZIIzOspQbjJfJwnT%2FI5V1%2Fr5nFUfF9BYVALJj1qE0Uwnq5JLkVSDkKnmIb0r%2FSVazWYiYEQrtsjbJfWLozcdf8G7cJWjf%2B0Z%2FbV%2Fai7ybXsF&webInteractiveContentId=196258273705&portalId=1857420)   - [Privacy Policy](https://fivenines.com/privacy-policy/) - [HTML Sitemap](https://fivenines.com/html-sitemap/) © 2026 Five Nines Technology Group | 5617 Thompson Creek Blvd Lincoln, NE 68516 [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/gonines)[Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/company/five-nines-technology-group/) [Blog](https://blog.gonines.com/?__hstc=143714730.45718742b0726c421d8592d7ea71f58b.1757514685996.1758029308186.1758134756251.4&__hssc=143714730.31.1758134756251&__hsfp=1745665186)   [Client Support](https://fivenines.com/client-login/) Return to top ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "FAQPage", "mainEntity" : [ { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "End-of-support is the point when a vendor stops providing help, updates, and fixes for a product or service. If something breaks after this date, you may be on your own — no security patches, no bug fixes, and no official technical assistance — making outages harder and more expensive to resolve." }, "name" : "What does “end-of-support” actually mean for my business?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "End-of-life typically means the product is no longer sold and is being phased out entirely in favor of newer versions. Often, end-of-life is followed (or accompanied) by end-of-support, which means you may be running critical systems on obsolete, potentially insecure technology that is only getting riskier over time." }, "name" : "How is “end-of-life” different from “end-of-support”?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Older, unsupported systems stop receiving security updates, making them attractive targets for attackers. They can also cause downtime, compatibility issues with newer tools, higher maintenance costs, and potential compliance problems — especially in regulated industries where up-to-date, supported software is often required." }, "name" : "Why is running end-of-life hardware and software risky?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Schedule a review with your key IT contacts to understand exactly which systems are affected, how critical they are, and what your options are. Use that discussion to decide what to replace, what to retire, and what to keep temporarily — then fold those choices into your IT roadmap and upcoming budget." }, "name" : "What should I do when my IT team says something is nearing end-of-support or end-of-life?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Ask your IT team or provider to maintain an inventory of your hardware and software along with their end-of-support and end-of-life timelines. Review this list at least annually as part of your strategic planning and budgeting cycle, so you can plan upgrades proactively instead of reacting to last-minute deadlines." }, "name" : "How can we avoid being surprised by these dates in the future?" } ] } ```