Q When is the planned End-of-Life (EOL) for v5.x of ActivWare?
A July 24, 2024
Q Will my system stop working after that date?
A No, the installed software and underlying systems will continue to operate after that date. However, ongoing security and Windows OS patch testing routinely done by Activu will stop.
Q Can I continue to use my system and not upgrade right away?
A Yes, you can continue to use your system beyond the end of life. Support for the software from Activu, after the EOL date however, will be on a “best efforts” basis. The hardware that is part of your complete integrated system from Activu will continue to be supported, and where there are elements still under warranty, warranty service will continue to be available.
Q How long will it take to upgrade my system?
A This is very dependent on the state and scope of your system.
Small, simple, and recent installations with compatible hardware and operating systems can be done over a day or so.
Complex, large, and/or old installations will require review and scheduling of on-site resources to affect the upgrade, and where there is unsupported hardware or operating systems, the upgrade should take the form of a simultaneous tech refresh – bringing the computing infrastructure and software up to date at the same time.
Upgrades will be scheduled in coordination with the client and an implementation schedule. The timing and effort needed to accomplish the upgrade to vis/ability can be best determined by communicating to Activu support.
Q Will my licenses with 5.x work with Activu vis/ability?
A No, the old license “dongle” will no longer work.
However, all existing ActivWare licenses will be transferred to a new vis/ability license virtual dongle (the hardware key is also discontinued).
There are differences in the way users are licensed in vis/ability (named vs concurrent), Activu will ensure that all users that required and used access to the system under ActivWare are granted a named user license with the vis/ability upgrade.
Q What does it mean to no longer do security and OS patches?
A Microsoft regularly updates its OS software for feature and security purposes, this is commonly known as “Patch Tuesday”. Activu runs a battery of tests of these new patches against our ActivWare platform to ensure our customers’ systems are unaffected. Although rare, it is possible for Activu features to be adversely affected by an OS patch, prior to EOL, Activu would remedy the software issue and deliver updates to customers on a support contract. Post EOL, Activu will discontinue testing patches, and if there is a future incompatibility, the only remedy would be to upgrade to supported Activu software: vis/ability.