What's the useful life of Ignition version 7.9 and 8.3? I'm told by my 3rd party integrator that 8.3 will by unsupported by 2030.
For ongoing system health checks and emergency support, is it most effective to source through Inductive Automation or a local 3rd party?
v7.9 is already completely end-of-life.
See the schedule in this blog post for more:
8.3 will be supported until ~September 2030.
Before that happens, the next LTS version will have been released, 2028-LTS.0, in ~March 2029.
Whichever you prefer, but in either case you should maintain at least BasicCare support, to get the upgrade protection.
Support depends on your needs. If you need regular help - both maintaining systems and maybe occasional help with actual project work, a local systems integrator will definitely be more useful. And it may be cheaper than going direct.
do all the versions of Ignition typically have only a 4-5 year life? How does this compare to other SCADA software like Factory Talk?
Yes, at least five years from the x.y.0 release for LTS versions. (7.9, 8.1, 8.3, future 2028.2) Intervening versions cease support shortly after the release of the next LTS.
FactoryTalk View offers 7-10 years for its equivalent of LTS ("Performance") and a year or so for others. However, this is tied closely to Microsoft Windows support cycles, so not so cut and dried.
Basically, you cannot apply expectations for PLC hardware lifespans to software. If you have a need to run painfully old software, you should expect to spend substantial effort isolating the corresponding networks from potential cyber threats.
Edit: one major difference between support models is access to updates within an LTS version:
With a licensed install of Ignition x.y.z, you can download and use any version x.y.* without a paid support contract. Downloads remain publicly available long after their support expires.
With a licensed install of any Rockwell Software, you lose access to all related downloads when your annual support contract expires.
I think another thing worth mentioning, if this is your concern / framing, is that when a version goes EOL it means we stop releasing updates. It doesn't mean that support is going to immediately turn you away if you call in with an issue - they'll do their best to help.
These EOL versions are "unsupported" to set expectations - if your problem can only be solved with a software update, that software update will not be happening - you will need to upgrade to a supported version.
very helpful perspective! thanks!
Also applies to commercially available hardware:
Need a LPT port for that dongle? Good luck.
Need four ISA slots for your Servo cards? Good luck.
Need to communicate to your DeviceNet motor starter? Good luck.
Future proof simply does not exist when taking external factors into consideration.
Maybe you can help explain that to our customers, I’ve done 2/3 of those in the last year lol.
very helpful!
I have a couple more questions. We're doing an upgrade to 8.3 at my company. Due to the price tag (about $200K), it's classified as a capital expenditure. Does this mean I can expect a $200K+ capital expenditure every 4-5 years? Or are there ways to avoid that?
What kind of issues would drive you to need the non-existent software update you mentioned above? viruses and other cybersecurity risks mostly?
I'm not sure what you're counting in that $200k cost - surely not the Ignition licensing, because as long as you have total care, upgrades are free.
Sure, these kinds of things mostly. CVEs found in old software/library versions. Industry standards changing. You do new work outside the initial scope and discover an ancient bug.
Like it or not, every* SCADA system that gets built today is actually a distributed system. You access it with a browser that will continue to evolve and require new security standards, your email server may change, you've ever even muttered the phrase "IoT", etc...
You can't freeze every component of the distributed system, so it's probably not realistic to expect you'll never have to upgrade.
[*] yeah yeah I'm sure somebody out there has an example of some truly air gapped frozen in time system. But it's not the norm any more.
BasicCare is enough to get free upgrades. ~16% of retail price per year. Starting next year, new LTS versions, for which you'd otherwise have to pay, are scheduled every two years.
The $200K includes performance improvements and updated graphics implemented since the original Ignition 7.9.10 system was implemented. It includes licensing of Ignition and Sepasoft software and modules for both a primary and secondary Ignition server. It includes the Perspective module, update of scripts from 8.1 to 8.3, use of named queries to replace queries in scripts for improved SQL security.
Includes graphical updates on 10-20 screens. SAT protocol, navigation testing to ensure all functions are retained in both the Systems (PO execution, truck delivery, navigation functions, device control & status monitoring, material transfer functionality, and Dynamic 365 Web interface connectivity) and MES portions of the application (B2MML parsing functions, material tracking functionality, reporting functionality, and PO transmittals).
Includes updates to 10 thin clients. Two 12-hour days of cutover support. 80 hours of remote support following the cutover.
Ignition 7.9.10 was released in late 2018.
There have been two LTS support versions (8.1 and 8.3) released since then.
FT View SE V11 was released in February 2019.
FT View SE V16 was released in October 2025.
Six major versions in the exact same time frame.
So using logic of “must upgrade on every major release” you would be saving 3x by using Ignition over FT View SE (all other things being equal, which they are not).
Tying upgrade frequency to LTS releases is failed logic, especially in industrial systems. 100% of the time upgrade decisions will be made on the cost of the upgrade vs return on investment of the upgrade.
What does happen many times is hardware fails and/or becomes obsolete. At that point the cost decision is often whether to upgrade, or simply close/move/sell the plant.
I’m guessing you are finding it difficult to believe a $200k upgrade every two years has a reasonable ROI. Often it does not. We all know this.
The difference is Ignition is so cutting edge that the upgrades do move the ROI needle enough to make it worthwhile. Perspective was a ROI moving upgrade. The MCP module in the next release will probably be another example of those ROI moving events.
It’s really hard to predict the future.
That’s a fair perspective.