Updated: July 9, 2020 (September 17, 2007)
Charts & IllustrationsProduct Life-Cycle Phases and Options
Support for business and development software is retired in a series of phases. The phases described below apply to all of the products discussed in this report.
For references to material that explains Microsoft’s product life-cycle support policies in more detail, see the chapter “Resources“.
Microsoft offers customers of business and developer products, which include Windows client and server, the option of entering into a Custom support program that provides support for legacy products during a product migration. Custom support can be granted to customers who require support for longer than the 10-year minimum provided by Mainstream and Extended support, but it is only in effect while migrating to newer versions and requires a Premier support agreement to be in place.
| Life-Cycle Phases and Options | Normal Duration | Product Support Options | Software Updates |
| Mainstream Support Phase | Five years from the date of general availability or two years after the release |
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