Customer Notification

UPDATED: Windows XP End of Life

March 28, 2014
Invensys, now a part of Schneider Electric, is committed to ensuring that our customers and employees are kept
current on issues that might affect or improve product, system or process operation. We are dedicated to providing
product and application reliability, and exceptional client service.

Customer Notifications are intended to inform you of the availability of new hardware, software, and special
programs, product release information, training opportunities, and service-related information of a non-technical
nature.

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This notification is serving as a reminder from our previous September 2013 notification.
Some modifications have been made to the original posting.
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Microsoft has announced that Windows XP SP3 will go out of support on April 8, 2014. This Notification
addresses the effect of this withdrawal for Invensys I/A Series products and our customers who are using
these products.
Situation
To quote Microsoft: If your organization has not started the migration to a modern desktop, you are
late. (See Reference 1). The Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policy is similar to Invensys
policy. Announcements are made and support is gradually removed. As of April, 2014, Microsoft will
completely discontinue its support of Windows XP; most importantly any security vulnerabilities that may
be discovered will have no corrective patches developed and distributed.
Again quoting Microsoft: Unsupported and unpatched environments are vulnerable to security risks. This
may result in an officially recognized control failure by an internal or external audit body, leading to
suspension of certifications, and/or public notification of the organizations inability to maintain its systems
and customer information. (Reference 2).

With Microsofts withdrawal of support for Windows XP, customers' installed systems will become
increasingly vulnerable to cyber security threats. In some regulated industries, this can result in a noncompliance with regulatory commitments that can result in an enforcement action compelling the plant to
stop the operation.

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What will be supported?
The Foxboro Evo workstations and I/A Series workstations running Control Core Services 9.0 and I/A
Version 8.8 use the Windows 7 operating system.
The Windows 7 operating system will continue to be supported by Microsoft and critical security patches
will still be maintained.
These workstations have been designed to co-exist with earlier I/A Series systems.
The I/A Series Lifecycle Product Support Guide (Reference 3) defines co-existence as:
Co-existence is the ability of all versions of software since version 4.3 / Y2K to communicate with different
generations of software, but not necessarily host, monitor or configure.
Are computers that support Windows XP still going to be available?
No, as of April 2014, the current HP-provided H92 workstation will only be licensed for Windows 7
operating systems.
Will support have a definite end date from Microsoft and from Invensys?
Support from Microsoft will terminate on April 8, 2014. At that time the license for Invensys to distribute
Windows XP is withdrawn. Existing Licenses will remain valid, but will be unsupported by Microsoft and will
become increasingly vulnerable.
Support for Foxboro Evo and I/A Series System software that are running Windows XP will continue as
stated in the Lifecycle Policy.
There will not be a fixed end date; the Invensys Lifecycle Policy shall remain in effect. Effective with
Microsofts support termination, Windows XP operating systems will be assigned to the Lifetime Lifecycle
phase.
What about Server 2003?
Server 2003 is replaced by Server 2008 and follows a similar process as discussed for Windows XP. The
announced withdrawal date is July 14, 2015. Microsofts announcement is found at
http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/search/default.aspx?sort=PN&alpha=Windows+Server+2003&Filter=
FilterNO
Are there any application constraints?
Yes, refer to the Foxboro Evo Control Core Services 9.0 and I/A Series V8.8 Software Installation Guide
(Reference 4 and 5).

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How will I get technical support?
The Invensys Global Customer Support centers are staffed to provide product support. Their contact points
are listed at the bottom of this Notification.
After April 2014, Microsoft will no longer support Windows XP. Therefore, Invensys Global Customer
Support centers will no longer be capable of providing security and functionality patches for Windows XP.
How do I obtain Life Cycle Management Support?
Please consult your Invensys Service Representative or first point of contact to arrange for a LifeCycle
Management study for ascertaining versions/releases of hardware and software of existing plant assets and
projects under execution to facilitate comprehensive and phased upgrade planning to ensure sustained
plant operations.
What If I Still Need XP Workstations?
After these products transition to Lifetime Phase, our ability to continue to supply them is extremely
limited. As with any Lifetime product, please contact your local Service representative on an individual
basis to determine whether they can still be supplied. After April 8, 2014, no new Microsoft XP licenses
can be issued.
What documents are available as references?
The following documents are available as references:
Reference 1. Microsoft XP withdrawal is discussed at e.g. http://www.microsoft.com/enus/windows/endofsupport.aspx
Reference 2. Microsoft, What does end of support mean to customers? http://www.microsoft.com/enus/windows/endofsupport.aspx.
Reference 3. Foxboro, "I/A Series System Lifecycle Product Support, A Customer Guide," Version 8.0.
Reference 4. Foxboro Evo 2014 Control Core Services 9.0 Installation Guide and Release Notes (B0700SP,
B0700SQ)
Reference 5. I/A Series V.8.8 Software Installation Guide and Release Notes (B0700SF, B0700SG)
Reference 6. Foxboro, Model H90 Workstation Servers for the Windows Server 2008 R2 Operating
System, Document No. PSS 21H-4U12 B4.
Reference 7. Foxboro, Model H92 Workstations/Windows 7 Professional Operating System, Document
No. PSS 21H-4D13 B4.
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*** Additional note:
Current McAfee products associated with I/A Series workstations will continue to provide sdat files for
Window XP operating systems into the year 2015.
A McAfee knowledge article: KB78434 can be referenced for additional information.

This transition is a concrete example of the Continuously Current philosophy. Both Microsoft
and Invensys have developed compatible follow-on products. Furthermore, the modern
operating systems will have support from Microsoft in responding to newly discovered security
vulnerabilities and in enhancing functionality.

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