Lifecycle Policy for distributed control systems
ABB is committed to support our customers’ installed system base.
We want to maximize the useable life of our customers’ system investment and provide our customers with the confidence that there is a well-defined support for, and a path forward for existing ABB systems.
ABB has defined a product support life cycle policy for its process automation control systems and products to help our customers’ predict support for their automation assets. This policy then forms the basic lifecycle management foundation for ABB’s Automation Sentinel Program, our unique control system lifecycle management program.
Lifecycle Policy
ABB’s control systems are designed for continuous evolution. It is ABB’s goal to protect our customers’ intellectual investment (i.e. application software) beyond the life cycles of the underlying platform products (i.e. hardware and software).
ABB will not "Remove from Active Sale" any product or "family" of products until an equivalent replacement to those products is available. Once a product has been removed from active sale, ABB will continue to support the product for at least 10 years, although exceptions to this may occur if components or technologies needed are no longer available to ABB.
Within this support period ABB will announce a “Last Buy” opportunity at least 12 months prior to the end of manufacturing (except in cases where there is a direct form, fit and function replacement). It is ABB’s intention to provide support for as long as there are significant customer needs after the "Manufacturing End" through field service, repair and by making replacement spares (new or refurbished modules) available.