VertiGIS Networks Product Life Cycle Support Policy

The VertiGIS Networks Product Life Cycle Support Policy is designed to communicate to VertiGIS Networks users the technical support resources available during a product's life cycle and to describe the various phases of the product's life cycle. Products will have a version-based life cycle, where each subsequent release will affect the previous release's life cycle phase.

This document outlines the three distinct Support Phases of the VertiGIS Networks Product Life Cycle. It also describes the events that move products through those phases. This information is intended to help you develop your product plans including migration and transition strategies.

Note: The VertiGIS Networks Product Life Cycle Support Policy does not impact a user’s right or ability to use any of the software products; it only applies to support availability.

Announcements

For products using a version-based life cycle, a new release will affect the currently available software. When a new software version is released, the most recently released version automatically switches to limited support and remains there for two years until the end of support.

VertiGIS may also announce transitions outside of a specific release event.

Product Life Cycle Support Phases and Definitions

The VertiGIS Networks Product Life Cycle has three Support Phases:

1. General Availability
2. Mature Support
3. Retired

Life Cycle Calendar VertiGIS Networks

General Availability Phase:

A product is in General Availability phase as soon as it is made available for customer use.

Technical Support in the General Availability phase includes:

• The ability to submit cases online 24x7
• VertiGIS Support Center access – knowledge base, how to videos, software downloads and discussion forums
• VertiGIS Documentation Center access
• Maintenance releases of the software to resolve bugs, when warranted

We encourage users to begin all new projects with General Availability products and to migrate existing applications to these products as soon as possible.

Mature Support Phase:

The Mature Support phase follows the General Availability Phase for products that can be installed on-premises. Normally, a General Availability Product moves to the Mature Support phase when a new release of the product becomes available.

Technical support in the Mature Support phase includes:

• The ability to submit cases online 24x7
• VertiGIS Support Center access – knowledge base, how to videos, software downloads and discussion forums
• VertiGIS Documentation Center access
• No maintenance releases to resolve bugs.

VertiGIS will not provide ongoing maintenance releases to resolve bugs in products that are in the Mature Support phase.

We recommend that customers migrate from a Mature Support release to the Generally Available release as soon as possible.

Retired Phase:

SaaS products enter the Retired phase when they are replaced with a new version.

Products with calendar-based life cycles enter the Retired phase two years following their General Availability release.

For all other products, a notification of a product’s retirement will be issued well in advance of its Retired phase date. 

Once a product enters the Retired phase, the product will no longer be available for purchase and users will only have access to limited support in the form of existing documentation and/or the VertiGIS Support Center.

Although Retired product information will remain available to users, this information will not be updated. Questions or requests posted through the Online Support Center may not be answered.

Basic Technical Support is not available for products in the Retired phase. Implementation Support cases for retired products must be approved by the VertiGIS Support manager. Case approval does not imply a guaranteed resolution. Maintenance releases to resolve bugs will not be available for retired products.

Typically, older products in the Retired phase are not compatible in newer computing environments. VertiGIS is not available to assist you in testing or implementing a Retired product in a new environment.