Cisco has recently announced the End of Life timeline for their QuickSet C20 codec and peripherals (details found here). Although this is a concern for many users, there is no need to freak out over the possibility of suddenly having an expensive paperweight. The popular VTC system will continue to receive support for the next 5 1/2 years under the SmartNet maintenance program as long as it is renewed annually.
Details on the End of Life timeline are summarized below:
- August 6, 2013 – Last day to order new C20 codec and peripherals
- August 6, 2014 – Last day of new software release for C20 codec
- August 6, 2014 – Last day of routine failure analysis for C20 codec hardware
- August 6, 2014 – Last day to order a NEW SmartNet support contract
- November 1, 2017 – Last day an existing SmartNet contract can be renewed
- August 31, 2018 – Last day the C20 codec can be covered under SmartNet support contract
As an alternative, the Cisco SX20 is the current model that Cisco is concentrating their development efforts on for this smaller type of conference room system. It has proven to be a very capable replacement while providing similar if not enhanced capabilities while remaining very affordable for a true HD video conferencing system. For a comparison, please take a look at Jack D’Ardenne’s blog post from last year.
As always, please contact oit-its-info@duke.edu if you have any questions concerning this announcement or other video conferencing products.
