Cisco Small Business Switches Will Reach End of Life in 2023

Key Points

Select models of Cisco Small Business 200 Series Smart Switches and Cisco Small Business 300 Series Managed Switches will end their life cycle in 2023.
After their end-of-life dates, all support services for the product and any applicable warranty will be discontinued.
Companies should ensure they have enough budget to make last-time buys on parts or products that become obsolete.
Failing to do so could lead to a product shortage, resulting in lost revenue, and could also mean paying a high price to secure the last-time buy.

The end of a product’s life cycle marks the conclusion of its journey from concept to obsolescence. The product has reached the end of its commercial life cycle and is no longer available. It may still be used by current owners, but there are typically no more updates or support available. As a result, the product is often considered outdated compared to newer alternatives on the market.

When a technology product reaches the end of its life, there are various possible causes. Such causes could include newly available and more advanced technologies, market shifts, or when required parts and technologies become unavailable. This is an unavoidable part of any technology product’s life cycle. When these situations arise, it’s important to handle the transition in an orderly and thoughtful manner.

The Cisco Product Life Cycle: What You Need To Know

Cisco is a leading technology company that manufactures and distributes networking, communication, and IT products. They are well-known for their high-quality products and services used by businesses worldwide. As such, Cisco has developed a product life cycle process to ensure that its products continue to meet the needs of its customers.

Knowing your Cisco equipment’s life cycle and the EoL, EoS, and LDoS dates is a crucial part of keeping your network running smoothly while also controlling costs. Fortunately, Cisco offers a generous timeline—a year before EoS dates are announced and five years to plan from the LDoS dates. Utilizing this timeline will help you avoid outages and save money.

In 2023, select models of Cisco Small Business 200 Series Smart Switches and select models of the 300 Series Managed Switches will reach the end of their life cycle. Changes in products are driven by technological innovation and development, or as products mature over time, they are superseded by functionally richer technology.

End-Of-Life Announcement for Cisco Small Business 200 Series Smart Switches

Cisco Small Business 200 Series Smart Switches were advanced, easy-to-use switches designed to provide small businesses reliable and secure network connectivity. These switches provided high-speed, secure connectivity with features such as Power over Ethernet (PoE) and Quality of Service (QoS).

With their easy-to-use web-based interface, they were quickly configured with minimal effort. These switches were designed to help small businesses grow and succeed, offering efficient and secure networking solutions that were easy to manage. With the Cisco Small Business 200 Series Smart Switches, businesses got advanced features, security, and performance to help them operate more efficiently.

Like any good technology, these products will eventually end their life cycle. The end-of-sale for Cisco Small Business 200 Series Smart Switches was announced in early 2018, and the effective end-of-sale date was October 4, 2018. This marked the last date the product could be ordered through Cisco point-of-sale mechanisms, and the product was no longer for sale after that date.

Staying on pace with the product life cycle timeline, select models of Cisco Small Business 200 Series Smart Switches will reach the end of their life cycle on October 31, 2023. Any service and support entitlements associated with this product will expire. After this date, all support services for the product will be discontinued and will no longer be supported under warranty terms and conditions.

End-Of-Life Announcement for Cisco Small Business 300 Series Managed Switches

Cisco Small Business 300 Series Managed Switches were network solutions offering enhanced Power over Ethernet Plus (PoE+) and security capabilities. These managed switches offered tools to help businesses maximize network performance and reliability while ensuring the integrity of their business data. They were designed for small business environments, delivering reliable performance and offering more control over network traffic.

In early 2017, Cisco announced the end-of-sale for select models of Cisco Small Business 300 Series Managed Switches. The last day to order the product was August 2, 2018. Once again, staying in line with the product life cycle timeline, the last date to receive applicable service for this product is August 31, 2023. After this date, all support services for the product and any applicable warranty will be discontinued.

We understand Cisco’s power over the market and how they use it to its advantage. As the leader in its field, Cisco can make intelligent decisions about when it is time for certain products and services to be discontinued or replaced. This could be interpreted as driving new hardware sales, eliminating competitors, or reducing the value of used models.

Whatever the underlying motive, it is clear that Cisco can pull products and services at its own discretion. Being aware of this process can help you plan for the future so that you know when it is time to consider alternatives.

The Potential Risks and Solutions Involved in End-Of-Life

Without due care and consideration, a product’s End of Life (EOL) issue can expose an organization to significant risks. To help mitigate these risks, it is important to plan ahead and upgrade your network before your devices reach the end of their life cycle.

Moreover, companies should ensure they have enough budget to make last-time buys on parts or products that become obsolete. Failing to do so could lead to a product shortage, resulting in lost revenue, and could also mean paying a high price to secure the last-time buy. To avoid this, organizations must accurately calculate how much stock they need to prevent wastage and disruption.

It is essential to plan ahead and upgrade your network before the end of life for any product is reached. Upgrading your network will help ensure that you are using the latest technology, helping to reduce potential outages and save money on support for older hardware. Additionally, it will help ensure that your business is always up-to-date on the latest security patches and protocol support.

Final Thoughts

Allowing your organization to stay ahead of the ever-changing technology landscape and keeping hardware current is essential for the longevity of your business. Awareness of the End of Life process for products and services is key to avoiding any disruption or financial pitfalls resulting from obsolete hardware or services.

By remaining up-to-date with essential hardware, organizations can limit their exposure to security threats, keep operational costs down, and make the most of their network investments. In this digital age, staying ahead of the technological curve is paramount. Investing in the proper hardware and services will ensure that your organization can keep up with the demands of today’s digital world.

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