ZTE Support recently announced they will end support their ZXV10 B710I-A36-M set-top box. This will prove significant to end-users and the telecommunications industry, as all repairs, spare parts, and service will terminate at the end of the year. The company recommends upgrading to a supported model.
ZTE Support’s Decision on ZXV10 B710I-A36-M Product
According to the company’s statement, after 11 years of service, the manufacture of the ZXV10 B710I-A36-M model ended on September 30, 2023. The company will continue to provide service and support until December 31, 2023, when all customer support will be discontinued, including technical support, spare parts services, and repairs.
Although the specific reason for the discontinuation was not given, it can be assumed that the decision was made due to the product being brought to market in 2012, making it obsolete as newer and better models have been created.
ZTE Support’s Continued Assistance Post EOS Date
Although ZTE Support will no longer offer its award-winning customer support services for the model, it will continue to function until the hardware begins to degrade. When this happens, a few options will remain available for customers who cannot immediately transition to a newer model.
The company’s official website will continue to list common troubleshooting tips, solutions for known issues, and advice, as well as a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section until next year since the EOS date. This information can be accessed directly from ZTE Support’s website (https://support.zte.com.cn/support/h5index.aspx) for one year.
Users who continue to use the unsupported model can also download the information directly to their hard drives, which will be particularly useful if they plan on doing so for the foreseeable future.
ZTE Support’s Clarification on Product Lifecycle Terms
End of Market means the last date that new units of the ZXV10 B710I-A36-M will be produced. This occurred on September 30th of this year, so the unit is no longer in production.
Last Time Buy of Spare Parts (LBTBSP) refers to a manufacturer issuing a final offering of replacement parts for an existing model. The company can sell its remaining stock for parts specific to the discontinued brand and consumers who wish to continue using that model can purchase spares in the event they’re needed in the future and do not wish to upgrade.
Service has many meanings when it comes to customer relations. Still, in the case of the ZXV10 B710I-A36-M, the company will no longer issue software updates, security patches, and other improvements to the system. Customers who continue using the unsupported model do so at their own risk, although ZTE products have been proven to have high levels of security.
Support refers to technical assistance offered by the company, either over the phone, the item being sent in for repair, or other forms of ZTE-issued guidance for repairing or diagnosing issues with the now-expired model.
ZTE Support’s Recommendations for Users
Although users are free to continue using their existing models for the time being, no additional software updates or technical support, including spare parts, will be available. For this reason, the company recommends that users upgrade their set-top box to a newer model.
The specific model will naturally depend on which country the user lives in, as not all models will be available in all areas. However, no matter which model is chosen, the newer one will be guaranteed to have newer features and more advanced technology than the discontinued model.
To begin the upgrade procedure, the user simply needs to purchase a more recent model directly from ZTE’s website or from a retailer specializing in technology products.
For data migration, there are three options for users to choose from. First, if they are technically proficient enough, they can transfer the settings and information from the ZXV10 B710I-A36-M to their new set-top box.
Option two is to get technical assistance from a knowledgeable person, like a family member, a friend, or a licensed support technician.
Option three is to simply discard the old machine, lose everything stored on it, and manually change the new device’s settings. The right choice will depend on the wants and needs of the individual consumer.
Although ZTE will discontinue direct support and service for the ZXV10 B710I-A36-M model, customers can upgrade to a newer set-top box line with newer and more exciting features or continue using their existing unit at their own risk and without direct company support.
