End of Life Statement

Product: GB-1000

Overview

Global Technology Associates is announcing end of life for GB-1000 Firewall Appliance. Sales of GB-1000 Firewall Appliance were discontinued as of July 30, 2003. The GB-1000 Firewall Appliance will be supported in GNAT Box System Software version 3.4.x until June 30, 2005.

Schedule

Last sales date June 30, 2003
Last date of sale for support contracts and/or extended warranty June 30, 2004
Last date of sale for subscription options June 30, 2004
Last date of sale for non-subscription options March 30, 2005
Last supported software version GNAT Box System Software ver 3.4.x
Last date product supported June30, 2005

Part Numbers Covered by this EOL Announcement

Product Number Description
GBA-1000-00-000 GB-1000 Firewall Appliance

GBA-1000-77-001

 GB-1000 Gigabit Expansion Option – Fiber
GBA-1000-77-002 GB-1000 Token Ring Expansion Option
GBA-1000-77-003 GB-1000 4 Port Expansion
GBA-1000-77-004 GB-1000 Ethernet Fiber Expansion Option
GBA-1000-77-005 GB-1000 Ethernet 10/100 Expansion Option
GBA-1000-77-007 GB-1000 Gigabit Expansion Option - Copper
GBC-0040-01-001 GB-1000 Single Version Upgrade (All Markets)
GBC-0040-12-001 GB-1000 Annual Maintenance (International)
GBC-0041-12-001 GB-1000 Standard Support (US & Canada only)
GBC-0042-12-001 GB-1000 Premium Support (US & Canada only)
GBC-0043-12-001 GB-1000 Premium Plus Support (US & Canada only)
GBC-0044-12-001 GB-1000 Premium 24/7 Support (US & Canada only)
GBC-0045-12-001 GB-1000 Extended Warranty (US & Canada only)

Current GB-1000 Users

System administrators are advised that GB-1000 Firewall Appliances will not be supported in GNAT Box System Software version higher than version 3.4.x. GB-1000 Firewall Appliances should not be updated to GNAT Box System Software versions higher than version 3.4.x, but should be maintained on version 3.4.x or earlier.

For customers with a valid support contract GTA will continue to offer technical support through the end of the contract period.

GTA will offer a retrofit program for owners of GB-1000 Firewall Appliances who wish to update their GB-1000 units to accept GNAT Box System Software versions beyond 3.4.x.  Details of the retrofit program are available at www.gta.com.

Discontinuance of GB-1000 FAQ

  1. Why has GTA decided to discontinue supporting the GB-1000 in future versions of GNAT Box System Software?
  1. Several planned enhancements to GTA's GNAT Box System Software take advantage of hardware and other technological advances which are not incorporated into the GB-1000.  Therefore, it is no longer viable for GTA to continue to support the GB-1000 in future version of our GNAT Box System Software.
  1. Will GTA be offering products comparable to the GB-1000?
  1. Yes, GTA has introduced the GB-1200 and GB-1500 Firewall/VPN appliances. These appliances are in the same class as the GB-1000, however they offer enhanced features and performance.
  1. Will the GB-1000 continue to operate after the announced end of support date?
  1. Yes, a GB-1000 running GNAT Box System Software version 3.4.x or earlier will continue to operate as always. Customers who wish to continue operating their GB-1000 should not update beyond version 3.4.x, as these software versions will not recognize the GB-1000.
  1. How does this announcement affect customers with GB-1000 support contracts?
  1. GTA will honor valid GB-1000 support contracts through the term of the contract. However, customers who operate GB-1000 Firewall Appliances should not upgrade their systems beyond ver 3.4.
  1. Are there any avenues for technical support for GB-1000 owners after June 30, 2005?
  1. GTA will continue to provide support for the GB-1000 through one-time support incidents. Support information may be available from a wide variety of resources including GTA’s website, and the GNAT Box User’s Group are two examples. Localized support from GTA’s channel partners may also be available.
  1. Will GTA be offering a refund for the updates included in GB-1000 support contracts?
  1. No refunds will be issued.
  1. What migration path is GTA offering to GB-1000 customers?
  1. GTA will announce a retrofit program for current GB-1000 customers. Details are available at www.gta.com.