Anyone with experience with Auto Update Expiration (AUE) on Chromebooks?

[Christian Mendelsohn @ Loaves, Fishes & Computers.]

Good Day all,

I was just made aware of Google's Auto Update Expiration (AUE) policy where Chromebooks stop receiving updates, or, stop working with a centrally managed console, 5-6.5 years after a manufacturer's first Chromebook model is released. It would appear there is an Auto Update Expiration on all ChromeOS devices. Google says 6.5 years but it can be 5 years for legacy devices. According to their webpage when a device reaches AUE they no longer guarantee updates but that some updates may continue past the AUE. It would seem that as with just about any OS once you go past end of support the device will continue to work but any critical bugs discovered won't get fixed. There is a small risk but given that the platform is predominately cloud based I would think the risk is lower than for a standard desktop OS. 

Has anyone had any experience with Chromebooks not receiving updates, and the lack of functionality or, the heightened level of vulnerability the end users face after this time? We do not use Google's central admin console, so this would not be part of our problem.

It would be a shame to provide Chromebooks that stop fully functioning months after we provide them if the expiration date (AUE) comes around that time.

More details below

Thank you,

Christian.

https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6220366?hl=en

Auto Update policy
Overview
Chrome devices and Android tablets for education receive automatic updates regularly that enhance both the device itself and the software on the device. However, advances in hardware and technology eventually make devices out-of-date; and as time goes by, we cannot indefinitely ensure that older Chrome devices will receive updates to leverage new OS features or that older tablets will continue to support device setup or the ability to receive content from Google Play for Education.
This document provides advanced notice of the Auto Update policy for:

• Specific Google approved Chrome devices—Applicable to Chrome devices for business and education customers, Chrome devices for meetings customers, and consumer Chrome device users

Note that only the Chromebox (or Chrome device) is covered under the Auto Update policy; the peripherals for the Chrome devices for meetings solution are not covered.

• Specific Google Play for Education approved tablets—Applicable to Android tablets for education customers

General policy

• When a device reaches Auto Update Expiration (AUE), it means that the product model is considered obsolete and automatic software updates from Google are no longer guaranteed.

• Business and education customers using devices that have passed their AUE date will no longer receive full support(1)from the Google Cloud and Google for Education teams.

• Business and education customers using devices that have passed their AUE date may find that they cannot manage their devices as expected using the Google Admin console or leverage new management features released.

• For Android tablets for education, the ability to receive content sent from Google Play for Education and a new user account through device setup is not guaranteed on models which have passed their AUE date.

• Google will provide advanced notice of a model’s AUE Date on this page as soon as it is launched, giving our customers time to make purchase decisions.

• New software updates may be received later than the AUE date published, but will never be stopped sooner than listed

• For Chrome devices this will be at least 6.5 years from launch of the hardware platform(2) (or in some legacy cases at least 5 years launch of the device itself).

• For Android tablets for Education this will be at least 3 years from launch of the hardware for Android tablets for education

• Chrome device models that have not reached their AUE date will continue to receive OS updates and function with the business and education management service.

• Android tablets for education models that have not reached their AUE date will continue to be able to be set up and receive content pushed from the Google Play for Education site, as well as be managed with the business and education management service.

• The End of Sale date is controlled by the OEM (manufacturer) of the device model and has no relation to model’s AUE date. Therefore, the End of Sale date will not be shown in the table.