Entering Maintenance Mode? Find out what this means for your business

What happens when a trusted service management software supplier decides to put their product into ‘maintenance mode’?

It’s not the end of the world, but it’s certainly something you should act on if you want to stay relevant, keep your engineers happy, and ensure integrations with your service management software continue to work seamlessly.

What is Maintenance Mode?

Simply put, maintenance mode is when a service management software product is no longer actively developed or updated. Service Management Software suppliers make this decision for various reasons, such as cost considerations, a lack of resource or because they are instead investing in other software solutions in their portfolio. It’s very common for service management software to be put into maintenance mode after an acquisition because business priorities shift.

Regardless of the reason, it’s a business decision that can seriously affect your service operations.

Can I Continue in Maintenance Mode?

You may not immediately notice the effects of maintenance mode as service management software typically continues to run, at least initially. However, this does not mean that it is business as usual.

The impact of service management software entering maintenance mode can be significant, affecting several areas of a business’s operations. Without updates service management software stagnates and businesses may find their daily operations disrupted, becoming more susceptible to security breaches, and losing their competitive edge as other companies adopt up to date service management software with enhanced features that improve efficiency.

To help you understand the real implications, here are some common problems:

• Lack of Progress: Without active software development and updates, service management software won’t evolve to the changing needs of the industry. Without new features and improvements efficiency will slowly start to decrease compared to competitors using updated service management software.
• Performance Issues: Over time, service management software might become less stable and prone to glitches, experiencing more frequent crashes and unexpected errors.
• Security Vulnerabilities: As the service management software no longer receives bug fixes and security updates, it becomes more vulnerable to cyber threats, leaving a greater risk of data breaches and security issues.
• Integration Concerns: As other service management software and technologies progress, the service management software in maintenance mode may become incompatible with newer systems, facing difficulties integrating with accounting applications and other third-party solutions.

Let’s Talk About Options

If you receive communications from your service management software supplier about an acquisition and subsequent move to different software. Or notification of indefinite delays to any upgrades you need to recognise this for what it is – your service management software is being put into maintenance mode – put on the shelf, and without improvements it will eventually start to impact your competitiveness.

Basically, you have 3 options:

1. Stick with your current service management software (although this is not recommended)
2. Move to a new product from your existing supplier. However it’s very important to assess whether their alternative service management software meets your specific business needs and objectives.
3. Explore alternative service management software solutions from other suppliers. Conduct research into alternative service management software from different suppliers that may be positioned to meet company requirements and integrate with your other applications.

When deciding on the most suitable option, businesses should consider various factors, such as functionality, cost, compatibility, scalability, and long-term updates and support. These considerations are essential. If you want more guidance on how to De-Risk your next Software Procurement, download Service Geeni’s comprehensive support guide for free.