End-of-Life (EoL)

End-of-Life, or EoL, refers to a stage in the lifecycle of IT hardware or software when a manufacturer announces the discontinuation of a product or product series. An EoL announcement often includes additional dates covering the end of sales, software updates or technical support. For organisations, EoL status is particularly relevant when planning IT infrastructure over the long term. Affected hardware may remain fully operational and necessary for existing systems, while availability and manufacturer services are gradually reduced. Reviewing EoL dates at an early stage helps IT teams plan replacements, migrations and infrastructure expansions. In established network environments, older product generations may still be required to maintain compatibility, expand existing systems or replace individual components.