STEP Update and End-of-Life Information

This topic contains details related to the cadence of STEP updates and baseline end-of-life (EOL) information for the STEP updates listed.

Update Frequency

STEP updates are currently identified by year and quarter to align with the quarterly update cadence. Consider the 2025.2 update: the first four digits (2025) indicate the year of the update, and the last digit (2) indicates the calendar quarter.

Quarterly updates provide faster time to market, enabling quicker access to new capabilities and market feedback. This approach allows Stibo Systems to be responsive to changing market conditions and rapidly enhance solutions. The mandatory update cycle for SaaS customers ensures users always benefit from the latest technology.

Target dates are as follows:

  • Q1 update - March

  • Q2 update - June

  • Q3 update - September

  • Q4 update - December

STEP Updates and Support End Dates

Stibo Systems supports the latest two updates for customers whose systems are enrolled in continuous updates.

Support time varies for customers not on continuous updates (i.e., on-premises, SaaS V1 systems, and some SaaS v2 systems). Odd-numbered updates (i.e., ends in 1 or 3) have short-term support (STS) and are supported for one year. Updates with long-term support (LTS) are even-numbered updates (i.e., ends in a 2 or 4), and support time varies.

Update Update Available to Customers EOL for on-prem and other non-SaaS v2 systems EOL for SaaS v2 systems not enrolled in continuous updates EOL for SaaS v2 systems enrolled in continuous updates

11.0

June 8, 2022

June 8, 2025

June 8, 2025

N/A

11.1

November 30, 2022

November 30, 2025

November 30, 2025

N/A

11.2

June 7, 2023

LTS: March 7, 2026

LTS: March 7, 2026

N/A

2023.3

September 27, 2023

STS: September 30, 2024

STS: September 30, 2024

N/A

2023.4

December 13, 2023

LTS: June 13, 2026

LTS: June 13, 2026

N/A

2024.1

March 27, 2024

STS: March 31, 2025

STS: March 31, 2025

September 30, 2024

2024.2

June 12, 2024

LTS: September 30, 2026

LTS: September 30, 2026

December 31, 2024

2024.3

September 16, 2024

STS: September 30, 2025

STS: September 30, 2025

March 31, 2025

2024.4

December 11, 2024

LTS: December 31, 2027

LTS: December 31, 2026

June 30, 2025

Starting with the 2025.1 update, all feature updates are exclusive to SaaS customers, and on-premises installations are not supported.

In the table below, dates in parentheses represent target dates for future updates, providing customers the information needed to plan ahead. In future updates, additional dates will be added as available.

Update Update Available to Customers EOL for SaaS v2 systems not enrolled in continuous updates EOL for SaaS v2 systems enrolled in continuous updates

2025.1

March 26, 2025

STS: March 31, 2026

September 30, 2025

2025.2

June 18, 2025

LTS: March 31, 2027

December 31, 2025

2025.3

(September 2025)

STS: 12 months after update

6 months after update

2025.4

(December 2025)

LTS: 18 months after update

6 months after update

2026.1

(March 2026)

STS: 12 months after update

6 months after update

2026.2

(June 2026)

LTS: 15 months after update

6 months after update

Customers should update to the latest version of Stibo Systems Enterprise Platform (STEP) as soon as possible . Contact Stibo Systems if you have questions and/or to receive help and guidance on how to update to a supported update. Also, refer to the SaaS 'How To' videos located on the Stibo Systems Service Portal for information about updating your version via the SaaS Self-Service UI.

Application errors reported after an update has moved out of the support window may be rejected. Instead, Stibo Systems Support will recommend that you update your system to a supported version. Issues in progress for those updates that have reached their EOL will be closed on the EOL date. Support services for these cannot be extended.

Preview Period and Mandatory Update

SaaS customers enrolled in continuous updates can test new updates during a 90-day update preview period. This preview period begins when an update is available to customers.

Using the SaaS Self-Service UI 'Update preview sandbox' functionality, you can create a time-limited sandbox to explore the latest STEP update without having to update any of your existing environments. The preview sandbox is free of charge, fully functional, and is automatically decommissioned after a period of seven days. After those seven days, a new sandbox can be created as required. This can continue for 90 days.

During this time, you can choose to update on your own using the SaaS Self-Service UI. This flexibility allows you to schedule around holiday periods, change freezes, or other scenarios. If you do not update, a mandatory update will be pushed to your existing environments at the end of the preview period.

Once a new update is available, the 90-day testing / preview period begins again, and you can start testing on the newest STEP update.

For example:

When 2025.2 (i.e., the latest update) is available, you can spend 90 days testing. If you do not initiate an update during that time period, Stibo Systems will apply 2025.2 to all of your environments during the time period that 2025.3 is released. Using a sandbox, testing can begin on 2025.3 once it is released, while your other environments use 2025.2.

Once you are enrolled in continuous updates, you will receive communications from Stibo Systems when an update becomes available. As the end of the preview period approaches, additional communications are sent to encourage you to update. Communication continues as the date of your automatic upgrade approaches.

Update Preview Sandbox Considerations

Update preview sandbox includes:

  • A copy of the SaaS Self-Service UI IP and SFTP access control configuration from the source Sandbox environment.

  • Transfer of a limited number of basic configuration properties from the source Sandbox environment; no integration-related configuration properties are transferred.

  • Transfer of file system contents such as hotfolders, Web UI localization files, images, and icons from the source Sandbox environment.

  • Configuration of the Stibo Systems SaaS mail relay server.

Update preview sandbox does not include:

  • Functionality that may be available on the source sandbox environment but is dependent on additional infrastructure such as Faceted Search, Publishing (InDesign), Loqate Address validation, and the Audit Messaging Framework.

  • Integration with an identity provider because that would require configuration within the identity provider itself.

  • Custom extensions. However, custom extensions can be installed manually afterwards using the Remote System Administration API / UI if required.

  • Transfer of the local image cache since it could result in images not being shown instantly and, in some cases, not at all unless they are imported again.

Additional Resources

There are two additional topics that users should be familiar with around deprecations, lifecycle changes, etc.