Windows 8 Support Lifecycle Ends in January, 2018, Details About Windows RT, Surface with Windows RT Lifecycle Policy Announced

Microsoft has announced details about Windows 8 support lifecycle along with details about Windows RT and Surface with Windows RT support lifecycle.

Windows 8 was officially launched last month, on October 26, 2012. While many Windows users are busy with their Windows 8 upgrades, Microsoft is planning on the Windows 8 product lifecycle. The Redmond technology giant has just announced in its Support Lifecycle website that Windows 8 mainstream support will end on January 9, 2018. Windows 8 extended support will be provided until January 10, 2023.

The tablet version of Windows 8 flavor, Windows RT’s mainstream support ends on April 11, 2017. Microsoft is yet to comment on the extended support for this version as well, but has asked users to see the Windows RT Lifecycle Policy FAQ available here. According to the FAQ, Office Home and Student 2013 RT has the same lifecycle policy as Windows RT. Surface with Windows RT Lifecycle starts from January 24, 2013 and its mainstream support ends on April 11, 2017, the same day when Windows RT mainstream support ends.

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Mainstream support—Microsoft will offer mainstream support for a minimum of 5 years from the date of a product’s general availability, or for 2 years after the successor product is released, whichever is longer. For example, if you buy a new version of Windows and five years later another version is released, you will still have two years of support left for the previous version.

Extended support—Microsoft will offer extended support for either a minimum of 5 years from the date of a product’s general availability, or for 2 years after the second successor product (two versions later) is released, whichever is longer. Please note: Extended support is only available for commercial customers.

We already know that Mainstream support for Windows Vista, Windows XP and Office 2007 are already over. Extended support for both Windows XP and Office 2003 ends on April 8, 2014. Extended support for Windows Vista ends on April 11, 2017. Mainstream support for Windows 7 ends on January 13, 2015 while its extended support ends on January 14, 2020. Windows 7 Service Pack Support ends on April 9, 2013.

Source: Microsoft Product Lifecycle, Microsoft Support Lifecycle FAQ
Image Source: Microsoft Support Lifecycle

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