Why does Sophos Endpoint 10.2.9 say its nearing retirement?

Hello apeeler,

10.3 is 10.2's successor, or: 10.2 has evolved to 10.3. There won't be an extended "run-out" period for 10.2.
Only my interpretation though :)

Christian

Hello apeeler,

there's always an overlap of old and new versions. IIRC it all started when version 7 was out. There was a rather short-lived version 8, then came SEC 4.0 and 9.0 (SAV, ESDP, ESC or whatever it was called then). Things got a little bit out hand then. There was the question which features should be added and how they should be priced. There was also the SBS line with its own management software. It made sense to consolidate the consoles. The most challenging question though was numbering the next version. Simply increment to 10, call it X like Apple, come up with a new scheme?
The decision was postponed and out came 9.5. Not much different from 9.0 if you just needed AV. The numbering still not decided 9.7 was next. Customers used to the major version concept saw it as beefed up 9.5 or even 9.0. Meanwhile SEC and the underlying code underwent significant changes and eventually we got SEC 5.0 and consequently SAV/SESC 10.0. While it looked like two there were actually four versions 9.0, 9.5, 9.7, and 10.0. In part SMB customers stayed at 9.0 due to the original console (SCC) no longer being developed. There was already an attempt to get them on the main path with SEM.
The future strategy still undecided bits and pieces (Encryption, Web Control, Patch) and a new communication framework were added, SEC 5.1 had no corresponding endpont version though. SEC 5.2 then got 10.2 - there were changes which justified a new version number.
Another part, the lifecycle policy, had already been reviewed and amended. 9.0 phased out, 9.5 and 9.7 scheduled for retirement, 10.0 kept (don't ask me why) and Windows 8 arrived. For one thing, it required significant changes to SCF leading to SCF 3. Now, changes like this should be reflected in the version ... so it's 10.3, otherwise known as 10.2 with Windows 8 support :).

Well ... what was your question?
Christian
Disclaimer: all software depicted herein is purely fictitious

Hello apeeler,

there was a discussion triggered by the disappearance of a 10.3 fixed version - "where did my 10.3.2 package go" (I'd insert the link but with the mobile version this is ....).
If you have a Premium or better support contract talk to your contact. Otherwise the console likely complains whenever you open the subscription - the new lifecycle policy doesn't have the concept of fixed versions. Thus I can't recommend any fixed version (apart from that I don't and can't know which versions you "see").
Please have a look at the mentioned thread, meanwhile my last post rephrased: For your needs 10.3 is just a renumbered 10.2 starting with 10.3.1.

Christian