Product Lifecycle & End of Life Policy

Applies to: ReefCore Controllers, official hardware, software, applications and TerraAqua Cloud services

1. Purpose

This policy explains how TerraAqua manages the commercial life, software support, security support and retirement of ReefCore Controllers, official sensor nodes, applications, cloud services and related products.

2. Lifecycle stages

A TerraAqua product or service may pass through the following stages:

• Current: actively sold or supplied and receiving normal support;
• Maintenance: no longer actively promoted, but receiving appropriate fixes and support;
• End of Sale: no longer available for general purchase;
• End of Support: routine technical and security support has ended; and
• Retired: associated online services or infrastructure may be withdrawn after appropriate notice.

3. Security-update period

For a consumer connectable product, TerraAqua will publish the minimum period for which security updates will be provided where required by law. The applicable period or end date will be stated in the product information, packaging, accompanying documentation or another durable and accessible location.

A published period is a minimum commitment. TerraAqua may continue security support beyond that period but is not obliged to do so unless required by contract or law.

3.1 ReefCore Controller defined support period

This minimum commitment applies to security updates for capable ReefCore controller software and firmware, the controller-hosted setup and management interface, the TerraAqua update mechanism, and manufacturer-developed associated software used for or in connection with the product's intended functions. TerraAqua may extend this period, but will not shorten the published minimum period.

4. Software and firmware support

During the supported period, TerraAqua may provide security patches, fault corrections, compatibility updates and essential maintenance. Feature updates and new functionality are not guaranteed for every supported product.

5. Third-party components

TerraAqua products may depend on operating systems, libraries, chipsets, cloud providers or other third-party components. TerraAqua will use reasonable efforts to manage dependencies and provide appropriate mitigation, replacement or guidance where a third-party component reaches end of support.

6. End-of-sale decisions

TerraAqua may stop selling a product because of component availability, technical change, safety, regulatory requirements, security, commercial demand or the introduction of a replacement product.

End of sale does not automatically mean immediate end of support.

7. Notice of end of support

Where reasonably possible, TerraAqua will provide advance notice before ending routine support for a product or material cloud service. Notice may be given through the website, Legal Centre, My TerraAqua, email, application notifications or controller notifications.

8. Notice content

An end-of-support notice may include:

• the affected product, model, service or software version;
• the planned end date;
• the effect on security updates, technical support and cloud functions;
• available migration or replacement options;
• data-export or account actions that customers should take; and
• any continuing local functionality.

9. Local ReefCore operation

Where technically possible, TerraAqua aims to preserve safe local ReefCore operation after optional cloud services end. This does not mean that unsupported products should remain connected to the internet or used without appropriate risk assessment.

10. Cloud-service retirement

Before retiring a material paid cloud service, TerraAqua will provide the notice, cancellation arrangements and remedies required by applicable law and contract. Customers may be given an opportunity to export available account or aquarium data where technically and legally possible.

11. Unsupported products

After end of support:

• security updates and fault fixes may no longer be issued;
• compatibility with new applications, operating systems or services is not guaranteed;
• TerraAqua may limit technical support to general guidance;
• cloud connectivity may be restricted where necessary to protect users or infrastructure; and
• continued use is at the owner's risk, subject to rights that cannot legally be excluded.

12. Safety and security exceptions

TerraAqua may accelerate retirement, disable a vulnerable online function or issue urgent instructions where continued operation creates a serious security, legal or safety risk. TerraAqua will communicate the reason and available options where lawful and practical.

13. Replacement and migration

TerraAqua may offer migration guidance, replacement products, trade-in arrangements or extended support, but these are not guaranteed unless expressly included in a contract.

14. Warranty and consumer rights

Product lifecycle status does not remove an existing warranty claim or statutory consumer remedy. The Warranty Policy and Returns & Refund Policy apply separately.

15. Customer responsibilities

Customers should keep contact details current, install supported updates promptly, review lifecycle notices, maintain suitable backups and contingency arrangements, and replace or isolate unsupported network-connected equipment where appropriate.

16. Changes

TerraAqua may update this policy as products, regulations and support arrangements change. Product-specific commitments already made will not be reduced retrospectively unless permitted by contract and law.

17. Contact

Lifecycle enquiries may be sent to info@terra-aqua.co.uk.

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