The software lifecycle policy

NOTE: Lifecycle policy dates can be found here.

We adopt a policy to formalise our procedure of withdrawing support for software versions that use technology that is no longer supported by the provider. An example of this is Microsoft Windows XP.

Sage CRM follows the guidelines of the Sage Product Support Policy, which states that Sage will provide support for the current and the previous version of CRM.

What does this mean?

This doesn't mean the software will stop working. The software can still be used, but we will withdraw support, updates and upgrades in a phased approach. When we announce the withdrawal of support, if the version of the software is affected we will contact you to advise you of the date on which support will cease, along with details of upgrade offers available to you.

Why do we do this?

It is standard industry practice for technology companies to withdraw support for older versions of software. Every year we invest in research and development to improve our software and services. We do this in line with regular customer feedback and to take into account new technology and changes in legislation. We believe that using the latest software is the best way for us to help you run your business effectively and by concentrating our resources on looking forward, we can help your business move forward too. We also want to ensure that we continue to offer the best level of support for our software that we can. We want you to be able to reach technical experts with the right level of knowledge to answer your questions quickly.

For more information about this software lifecycle policy and to discuss what options are available to help you upgrade your software to a supported version, please contact your support provider.

NOTE: What's the difference between 'Mainstream Support’ and ‘End of Support’?

	Mainstream Support	Extended Support	End of Support
	Product available for sale New licence sales are withdrawn from sale once the product enters extended support & beyond.
Additional Users, Modules and Companies Licence sales of additional users, modules & companies are still available during extended support.			*
Technical Support For customers with a valid support contract, we provide their Business Partner with access to technical support. Direct customers with a valid support contract are provided support via our customer services team in Winnersh
Developer Support is offered to BPs and customers who are members of the relevant Sage 200 Developers Programme
Hot fixes/ Bug fixes/ Patches/ Service packs are provided for recognised defects in line with the defect resolution process (see BP Handbook)
Defect log is open

*Please see the tip below.

TIP: Once a version has been in an end of support status for 12 months, the ability to buy users is also removed. Should there be a need to buy a module or user, a customer should be upgraded to the latest version. 

Please note this is the end of support, not life. The software will still work.

A full list of affected programs along with the date support ends can be viewed below.

Any maintenance service packs or hotfixes that are issued will end support on the same date as their product version.

*Subject to change