Decoding the differences between EOL Vs. EOSL Vs. EOD for your IT Hardware

As your hardware starts aging, it becomes vital to upgrade your equipment. OEMs typically advise replacing the aging hardware every three to five years. This is because the hardware reaches its EOSL and EOL dates. This might be a typical lifespan of hardware according to OEMs. But, replacing hardware so frequently can be expensive. There are better ways that can increase the lifespan of your hardware without spending a fortune. However, before planning on extending the lifespan of your hardware, understanding hardware lifecycle phases is crucial to make a better and cost-effective decision for your business.

EOL vs. EOD vs. EOSL vs. GA - Decoding the differences

There are several terms used to explain the hardware lifecycle and status. Let's look at the most common ones.

• End of Life (EOL): End of Life is a label used by manufacturers to describe a product that cannot be repaired once it reaches its EOL date. Its newer generation must replace it. This label also indicates that the product will no longer be available on the market for selling and purchasing purposes. Some manufacturers may offer maintenance options during this phase to cover your EOL dates. However, the equipment will be considered stable and cannot be upgraded or updated further.
• End of Service Life (EOSL): End of Service Life is the final phase of the product life cycle. When your product approaches this phase, it can no longer receive maintenance services from the OEM. It means manufacturers will no longer sell or market the product after its EOSL dates. However, you will still be able to purchase the product in the secondary market.
• End of Development (EOD): End of Development refers to the date since when the OEM stops manufacturing a particular product. OEM officially ceases the development and production of device operating systems. After this date, software patches, firmware, support renewals, and contracts are no longer rolled-out or available.
• General Availability or Sale Date (GA): General Availability is the release date of the product. When the product reaches GA, the product becomes available for the general public via OEM's general sales channel after the limited release and beta version.

How to check your hardware EOL/EOSL date and warranty status?

Your OEM will send a notification regarding EOL and EOSL dates. However, these notifications may not allow for proper IT estate planning. You can follow the steps below to determine the EOL/EOSL and warranty status of your hardware.

Checking EOL and EOSL dates:

• Tracking each asset can help you determine manufacturer warranties.
• Locate your hardware model number. This is available on the EOSL information page of OEM or TPM.
• Check the EOL and EOSL status.

Checking the warranty status:

• Locate hardware serial number. It can be found on the back of the machine. It includes information about its manufacturing date.
• Contact the manufacturer support services directly.
• Determine the warranty status of your device.

Does the OEM provide support for EOL and EOSL hardware?

It may vary and highly depends on your OEM. EOL support from some OEMs is limited. If there is a maintenance agreement available, it is way too expensive. Some of the OEMs continue to offer post-warranty support for your EOL hardware via TPM services.

In general, the following applies:

• EOL Support: Once your equipment has reached its EOL date, OEM will continue providing support, but you will have to pay a premium price. In such a situation, TPM is one of the best alternatives to cut down the expenses during this time.
• EOSL Support: When your hardware reaches its EOSL date, OEM will no longer be able to offer maintenance services. However, you can get support and extended warranties from a TPM provider.

CXtec Advantage

CXtec, a vendor-agnostic partner with more than 40 years of experience in the industry, is committed to providing you with a more efficient method with hardware support. With its RapidCare® service, you can:

• Get the SLA that works best according to your needs
• Easily manage contracts across brands, devices, and function
• Put off unnecessary hardware refreshes driven by OEM maintenance costs

You can also get a maintenance package that offers exceptional service and high-quality replacement parts from a secondary hardware market. Additionally, RapidCare maintenance service assures you the quality replacement parts for the hardware reaching EOSL or EOL. RapidCare is one of the flexible alternatives to OEM support that reduces maintenance costs and offers 24x7 support. Whether you're covering a new, EOSL, EOL, or pre-owned hardware, RapidCare TPM services is a smart way to redefine your IT strategy.