Introducing Lifestyle Phases for flexiWare
Retiring Support for Users below flexiWare 8.1
In light of the upcoming end of Windows 10 support it has become apparent that gradual migration of all flexiWare users is needed for security compliance and continued data integrity moving forward. Continued use of an operating system no longer receiving security patches presents a non-negotiable risk to the security of entire networks and more locally could result in the ransom of important data on a local scale.
While SCIREQ & emka Technologies specialists have great pride in providing exceptional support to our users, we do not wish any research groups to encounter losses of data integrity. Data loss is taken very seriously whether it arises from security breaches from continued use of flexiWare in an operating system that is no longer secure or attempting to port the software to new OS where it has not been fully validated in by professional developers. The end result would be a waste of critical resources including the sacrifice of subjects, technician time, grant justification, operational costs etc.
In addition, as the number of software releases has increased, so has the number of support requests to address issues that have been in fact been rectified in later software editions. Therefore, we will henceforth have a 5-year support plan for all versions of flexiWare from their date of official release.
This policy will come into effect in Q2 of 2024 (April 1st, 2024) and affects all users working on editions of flexiWare prior to flexiWare 8.1.3. flexiWare 8.1 service package 3 is the last and most stable version of flexiWare 8.1, which was first released in 2019. Please note that versions of flexiWare earlier than 7.6.7 have not been supported since 2017, therefore this announcement only affects those using flexiWare 7.6 or flexiWare 8.0.
After this point, all support outside of helping users to upgrade their systems, including but not limited to custom scripts, templates, communication between the hardware and computer, data reviews etc. will not be provided.
flexiWare 8.1.3 will be supported until March of 2025 and flexiWare 8.2 will be fully supported until October of 2025 as these editions have been designed and tested within the Windows 10 environment. Partial support for flexiWare 8.2 is available only for users working offline (ex. stand alone formats) since it has not been tested in Windows 11 but the cutoff of Windows 10 support by Microsoft falls within the 5-year support window for this software edition. Support will not be provided to anyone using flexiWare 8.2 in networked formats for security reasons.
flexiWare 8.3 and later has been tested within a Windows 11 environment and we strongly recommend all users to move to this version or newer before the end of Windows 10 support by Microsoft. A warning that unexpected errors cannot be excluded if editions of flexiWare prior to 8.3 are used in Windows 11. Scireq & emka Technologies will not be held responsible for problems encountered when porting flexiWare 8.2 and earlier to a Windows 11 or otherwise unsupported OS (ex. Mac or Linux).
Please note that any user could maintain an earlier edition of flexiWare in an offline format to collect and work with data. This includes newer and supported editions of the software. However, support options may be limited and consultation with the local IT team to confirm that this conforms to local policies.
Support for each release of flexiWare is summarized in the chart below for easy review. We will continue to work together with researchers to provide the highest quality hardware, software and support possible alongside the high degree of data integrity and security that our users have come to know and expect. Anyone with questions is encouraged to reach out to our team at the contact addresses listed below.
*Confirmed by development and testing by SCIREQ and EMKA Technologies software developers. Results may vary when used outside of the designed background
#Introduction is of the first package and not the latest service package released where applicable
& Introduction of 5-year lifespan for support
^ Note that this is after the Microsoft closure of Windows10 support. Therefore, continued use of this version of the software is only supported between November 2025-Q1 2026 for users working in an offline state. Users working with networked computers are strongly discouraged from continued use of flexiWare 8.2 since it has not been fully validated in Window 11 and Windows 10 computers will be security risks after October of 2025
The Premium Care service is an extremely simple and comprehensive extended warranty plan offered as a yearly subscription. It includes everything needed to ensure proper maintenance of your system such as software upgrades along with all-inclusive technical and scientific support.
» Parts and labor warranty
» RapidExchange program on selected products designed to minimize downtime
» Shipping fees are covered if any equipment must be returned to Montreal for servicing
» Access to our expertise through our Technical Support team and SCIREQ scientists
» Optional yearly ½ day visit from a SCIREQ specialist to revalidate your system
» Replacement consumable items provided on a yearly basis for wetted components (valves, nebulizers, O-rings and y-tubing, etc.)
» Automatically eligible for all new software releases
Please fill out the below form and a specialist will contact you as soon as possible