IBM Wants you Back
5 February 2026 - 2 Minute Read
Why Returning to Genuine IBM Support Makes Sense
For years, many organisations assumed an IBM End of Service (EOS) notice meant support had stopped.
It never did and now IBM has removed that confusion entirely.
IBM no longer uses EOS. Instead, systems move to a Change of Support Level, where genuine IBM support continues under Hardware Service Extension. In short: IBM support doesn’t end, it evolves.
Why Customers Are Coming Back to IBM
We’re increasingly speaking with organisations that left IBM OEM support years ago and are now reconsidering that decision.
If you’ve been away from IBM support for 12 months or more, two things usually matter most:
✔ Access to IBM’s Back Catalogue of Patching
Genuine IBM support provides access to historical firmware and microcode - patching below the operating system that:
- Fixes known hardware defects
- Improves system stability
- Reduces unplanned outages
This level of patching is typically unavailable without IBM support.
✔ Better Reliability & Stability
Many customers return after experiencing persistent issues that OS patching alone can’t fix. IBM firmware updates are designed to improve long-term platform behaviour, not just react to failures.
Start the Conversation
IBM’s Clients for Life approach means customers can extend system life and plan refreshes on their own terms, without rushing decisions.
If you’re curious what returning to genuine IBM support looks like today, it starts with a conversation.
Curious? Ask Will.
Will Nicholls brings over 30 years’ experience across IBM OEM and Third-Party Maintenance models and knows exactly when each makes sense. Fill in the form to book a meeting with Will.
About the Author
Will Nicholls
Will Nicholls is an industry recognised expert in the field of Hardware & Software Maintenance services especially around all IBM platforms. Will has worked in this field as a salesman for over 25 years and in his time has won some of the largest third party maintenance contracts many of which, due to his passion for account management, stayed with him for multiple years. Will is known for his innovation, bringing new, highly profitable services to the organisations he worked for. Will is now responsible all things maintenance related and making sure that we always do the right thing for the Customer.
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