Dear Marshal8e6 Customer:
This email explains updates that we are making to our product support policy for the Marshal line of products. Please take the time to read this email as it details which versions of our products (e.g., MailMarshal SMTP or WebMarshal) are supported and when older versions will be discontinued. This is a quick outline of the updates we are making, the full policy statement can be found on our website at - http://www.marshal.com/support/support_policy.asp.
Policy Summary
Under our updated policy Marshal8e6 will provide full product support for the last two feature releases of our products. All minor point releases in the current feature release are supported. However, only the last maintenance point release in the previous feature release will be supported. Our products' versions are numbered as follows:
[Major Release].[Feature Release].[Point Release].[Build Number] (e.g. MailMarshal SMTP 6.4.6.5922)
Q: What does this mean?
A: What this means is that if you report a bug or problem with your Marshal8e6 product and you are using either our latest feature release, or the last maintenance version of the previous feature release, we will endeavor to provide a resolution for the reported problem. This is explained in more detail in the table below.
Example:
| Product Version | Status | Why? |
| 1.5.1 | Supported | This is the newest version available. |
| 1.5.0 | Supported | This is within the current feature release. |
| 1.4.9 | Supported | This is the last point release of the last feature release. |
| 1.4.8 | Discontinued | While this is the in the last feature release, there are newer point releases available. |
| 1.3.9 | Discontinued | This is two feature releases behind the current release. |
If your reported problem relates to an earlier, discontinued version of our products, we will first ask you to upgrade to the latest product release before undertaking any remedial development work. Older releases will be discontinued 30 days after the date that a newer feature release is published to replace it. Marshal8e6 will send a notification prior to the discontinuation of older releases.
Q: Why is this update to the product support policy happening?
A: Marshal8e6 has been operating for over 10 years and as our product lines have matured we now have numerous customers operating obsolete versions of our products. The update to the policy allows our customer base to predict and plan for regular upgrades to their software, and allows our developers to focus on our most current product releases.
Q: Will this support policy affect me?
A: If you are running a recent version of our software, the policy will not affect you immediately. You will need to continue to regularly upgrade to newer revisions of the software as they are released to remain on a supported version. Upgrades to new versions of our software are always free of charge to customers with a current maintenance contract.
Q: I am on an older version of your software. How does this affect me?
A: Ideally, please upgrade to a newer, supported version of our software when you can. If you are on a current maintenance contract, you can download the latest version of your product from our website. Marshal8e6 Technical Support can help you with the upgrade process, if required. If you are using an older, discontinued version of our products, we cannot guarantee to undertake development effort to correct any problems that you may report.
Q: Can I get help if I have problems with a discontinued version of your software?
A: In some cases, we can provide technical support on an older version of our products to help customers resolve issues. However, Marshal8e6 may recommend you upgrade to a later version of the software, as we do not maintain support expertise on discontinued versions of our products. Furthermore, bug fixes may or may not be developed for older versions depending on the severity level and availability of workarounds.
Q: How can I find out if my version of your product is supported?
A: A table of every products' support status is available in Marshal's Knowledge Base system, which can be found at http://www.marshal.com/kb/article.aspx?id=10920. This article will be maintained with up-to-date information as new versions of our products become available.
Q: I have more questions - who do I contact or how can I get answers?
A: Please email us at support@marshal.com or call your local Marshal8e6 technical support representative.
Sincere regards,
Marshal8e6 Product Management