We have been asked to find out how long Version 8 is going to be supported by Blackboard. Our school is trying to determine the future direction of our LMS.
Hi Teresa,
You can always get the latest information about which versions of Blackboard are supported by reviewing the Support Services Guide available for download from behind.blackboard.com. According to the version of the Guide released July 9, 2010:
Release 8.0 was made Generally Available in December 2007 and is currently Fully Supported. Release 8.x will move to Operational Support in October 2010. Release 8.x will move to No Longer Supported in October 2012.
Below is an excerpt from the Support Services Guide that describes each of the Support Categories.
Support Categories
All products are classified into a support category that defines the level of support services that is provided to clients. Each product has a current designated category. Support Categories are subject to change as determined by the Company and the product roadmap.
• Full Support (formerly Category A): Full Support includes product versions for which Blackboard offers a wide range of support options. For the two most recently issued product versions, Full Support includes an active maintenance schedule of Service Packs and Hotfixes and for the older product versions under Full Support, it includes workarounds developed on an as-needed basis.
• Operational Support (formerly Category B): Operations Support includes those product versions for which Blackboard offers a modified support. This category does not include an active maintenance schedule such as corrections, enhancements, bug fixes, Application Packs, Services Packs or other updates made generally available by Blackboard. All issues related to products in the Operational Support category, for which Blackboard does not have an available fix or workaround, will be examined on a case-by-case basis, and may require the client to upgrade to a version with Full Support for resolution, or a separately priced Professional Services engagement. All client calls will be answered, operational assistance will be provided, and issues will be escalated to Product Development.
• No Longer Supported (formerly Category C): No Longer Supported products are not maintained by Blackboard. Clients are strongly encouraged to upgrade. Informational questions regarding product use will still be answered by Client Support.