Term · End of life

End of life (EOL): meaning, timelines and what happens next

Short answer

End of life (EOL, also end of line) means a manufacturer discontinues a product: it is no longer sold and support is withdrawn step by step. For IT hardware, the EOL announcement is followed by end of sale, the end of software updates and finally end of service life (EOSL), after which no OEM maintenance is available. There are typically three to five years in between. The hardware keeps working and can stay under an SLA through third-party maintenance, for example with TechCare Solutions.

Updated: 30 October 2026 · TechCare Solutions GmbH

The abbreviations: EOL, EOS, EOSL and LDoS

EOL (end of life, end of line): umbrella term for the discontinuation. Many vendors first use it for the end-of-life announcement.
EOS / EoS (end of sale): last day the product can be ordered from the manufacturer. Note: some vendors use EOS for end of support.
EoSWM (end of software maintenance): no new firmware or software releases after this date, often only security fixes up to a separate cut-off.
EOSL (end of service life) or LDoS (last date of support, Cisco): last day of OEM support. After it there is no maintenance contract, no renewal and no spare parts from the manufacturer.
EOA (end of availability): used by some vendors as a synonym for end of sale.

Typical vendor timelines

Each manufacturer sets its own intervals and publishes them in EOL bulletins or product lifecycle pages. At Cisco, the last date of support for hardware is usually five years after end of sale. Server and storage vendors such as HPE, Dell, IBM, NetApp or Fujitsu often end regular support five to seven years after launch, extendable only through expensive custom contracts.

For planning, the EOSL or LDoS date matters, not the EOL announcement: the existing OEM contract remains valid until then, afterwards you need another solution.

What happens after end of life

The hardware keeps working unchanged. There is no obligation to replace it at the EOL or EOSL date.
The manufacturer delivers no new firmware releases and no security updates.
OEM maintenance contracts expire and are not renewed, and spare parts are no longer available from the OEM.
Frameworks such as NIS2, DORA or BAIT require documented risk management: maintenance with a defined SLA, secured spare parts and a plan for the software side.
The same principle applies to software: at end of support (for Windows 10 on 14 October 2025) security updates stop.

Three options at end of life

OEM custom extension: if offered, usually much more expensive than the regular contract and time-limited.
Third-party maintenance: a vendor-independent provider takes over maintenance, spare parts and on-site service under an SLA, even years after EOSL. With TechCare Solutions typically 30–70 % below the OEM maintenance list price.
Hardware refresh: makes sense when performance, power consumption or missing software updates limit further operation. With third-party maintenance you choose the timing instead of the manufacturer.

Where to find EOL dates

Manufacturers publish EOL and EOSL dates in their own bulletins, but scattered across many pages. They are collected in the free EOSL tracker by TechCare Solutions and in the independent database EOSL365.de (operated by TechCare Solutions GmbH), covering more than 12,000 server, storage and network models from Cisco, HPE, Dell, Juniper, NetApp, IBM, Fujitsu and other manufacturers.

About TechCare Solutions

TechCare Solutions is a vendor-independent maintenance provider headquartered in Hahnstätten, Germany, and maintains data center hardware beyond end of life.

32 manufacturers in one contract (including HPE, Dell EMC, Cisco, NetApp, IBM, Fujitsu, Lenovo, Juniper, Huawei, Hitachi, Pure Storage)
SLA tiers up to 24×7×4: engineer and original spare part on site within 4 hours
30–70 % below the OEM maintenance list price, including after end of service life (EOSL)
Original spare parts from our own DACH depot, chain of custody on request
Headquartered in Hahnstätten, Germany, German- and English-speaking support, contract under German law
Fixed-price quote within 48 hours after the install-base review

Frequently asked questions

What does end of life mean?

End of life (EOL) means the manufacturer discontinues a product: it is no longer sold and support is withdrawn step by step. For IT hardware, OEM maintenance ends at end of service life (EOSL), usually three to five years after end of sale.

What does the abbreviation EOL stand for?

EOL stands for end of life, less often for end of line. It refers to the end of a product's life from the manufacturer's perspective.

What is the difference between end of life and end of support?

End of life is the umbrella term and often first means end of sale. End of support (last date of support at Cisco, otherwise end of service life) is the last day on which the manufacturer still provides maintenance, spare parts and updates.

Can I keep running hardware after end of life?

Yes. There is no obligation to replace it. Safe operation requires maintenance with a defined SLA and secured spare parts, for example through third-party maintenance, plus a plan for firmware and software.

How do I find the end-of-life date of my devices?

In the manufacturer's EOL bulletins, or collected in the EOSL tracker by TechCare Solutions and in the EOSL365.de database with more than 12,000 models.

What does maintenance after end of life cost?

Third-party maintenance is typically 30–70 % below the OEM maintenance list price. TechCare Solutions provides a fixed price per system within 48 hours after the install-base review.