Cisco has revised its support policy for application and embedded OS software.
Each embedded OS software release version will receive support for three years from End of Sale (EOS) date, and each application software release will now receive support for two years from the EOS date. There is no change to the 5-year hardware support policy. You can find the Cisco EOL Policy here.
It is important to note that Cisco Engineering may support critical security vulnerabilities on the final extended maintenance OS release through the hardware’s Last Day of Support (LDoS). Since this will vary by product, this information is being documented individually and found here.
Industry best practices as well as customer feedback were considered before implementing these changes.
Keeping your network on the latest suggested software release can help you limit security exposure, maintain network stability, reduce operational costs, and achieve your business outcomes.