Have you heard of TLS 1.0 End of Life?

Have you heard?

The sky just might be falling....

The phones, the phones, they won't work!!!

No really, we're not joking.  This is not a test.

Okay, well, maybe we are just a little bit, but it's just a bit of fun.  But really, in all seriousness, this is an issue that Microsoft has changed the goal posts going forward, and you need to be prepared.  Read on below.

*** Disclaimer ~ Please note: this is an issue caused by Microsoft no longer offering support for the device operating system, and security certificates, NOT an issue caused by the LPE device manufacturers, Polycom, HP, and Aastra/Mitel. ***

LPE Devices Soon To Be Defunct

If your organisation uses Lync or Skype for Business, and has any Lync Phone Edition devices (aka LPE - models: Polycom CX600, Polycom CX500, Polycom CX3000, HP 4120, Aastra/Mitel 6725), you really need to stop, read this post, and get a plan in place.

End Of Life for Windows Embedded CE 6.0

Those model numbers again:

• Polycom CX600,
• Polycom CX500,
• Polycom CX3000;
• HP 4120;
• Aastra/Mitel 6725

These devices are built on Windows Embedded CE 6.0 (operating system of the phone) which is now end of life (as of 10 April 2018).  Basically, this means that if a security vulnerability is found within this software (no known vulnerabilities exist at date of publishing - 25 May 2018), Microsoft will not write a security patch for these devices and your organisation may very well be exposed.  In addition to this, Microsoft will not accept any support calls on these devices.

And if that weren't enough...

End of Life for TLS 1.0 and 1.1 Office 365 Support

Microsoft also announced that Office 365 will stop supporting TLS 1.0 and 1.1 (Transport Layer Security) from 31 October 2018.  The phones mentioned above only support TLS 1.0.  To sum it up, the following features will be impacted:

If you are using Office 365 for Voicemail:

• visual voicemail on phone display will stop working
• directory search on phone will stop working
• calendar integration on phone will stop working

If you have a Skype for Business Hybrid or Online deployment:

• if you (or any users) are homed online, the phone may not sign in
• receiving a call from a homed online user may not work

What should you do if you have a Lync Phone Edition device???

• Contact us so we can help you get a better understanding of this "impending doomsday" in communications.
• Create a plan to either replace or swap out these devices - Polycom has some great offers in place for you to replace your handsets.
• Understand the risks, communicate to your relevant users, and continue to use these devices with less functionality and connectivity, and absolutely no Microsoft support going forward.

With our experience and knowledge, we will work with you to create the best plan for your organisation.  This may include several options, including change management to ensure your new technology path is an easy transition for your staff.  We can also provide advice on new certified devices that include some great offers from our trusted partners.

More info and resources

For further reading and more in-depth information, please see the below links for relevant Microsoft articles.

• End of Support for TLS 1.0 and 1.1: https://icomm.vip/ms-tls10EOL
• End of Life for Windows Embedded CE 6.0: https://icomm.vip/winembce60