Functionality Over Time

Criteria: The company commits to maintain the intended functionality of the product for a clearly defined and communicated period of time (i.e., the product life cycle).

See the test in action:

• Smart lock
• Smart pressure cooker
• Smart baby monitor

Methodology for Assessing Each Indicator

1) The product life cycle is communicated to the potential owner before purchase.

• Look at the places that a potential purchaser would have access to before deciding to buy the product, such as the company’s product page and purchase page, terms of service, end user license, and warranty pages as well as the external packaging and labeling of the product.
• If the product is produced by, a composite of, or maintained by two or more companies, search for life cycle information on all companies’ websites.
• Search for indications of the expected life cycle of the product.
  • Warranties, while a similar concept, are not what this indicator is evaluating
  • This indicator is assessing continued functionality, not just avoidance of breakage.
• If the company indicates in such a way that a prospective purchaser could view that the product and associated services will continue to work for a certain amount of time, particularly if the product relies upon a continuing service operated by the company, mark PASS.
• If the company does not indicate that the product and associated services will continue to work for a certain amount of time, mark FAIL.

2) Every feature of the product will continue to work the stated product life cycle; that is, the manufacturer will not 'brick' certain parts of the product during that time frame.

• Look in the product’s legal documentation including the terms of service, warranty, or other product information or description sources, both on the product’s website and in any labeling provided in the product’s packaging.
• Look for any descriptions of the manufacturer’s ability to discontinue a user’s service or to end the functionality of any part or aspect of the product.
• If the manufacturer affirmatively asserts that it will take no action to disable customer products throughout a defined life cycle (with possible exceptions for legal reasons or for violations of the terms of service), or if it is obvious that the manufacturer does not have the ability to render the product useless, mark PASS.
• If such an ability is claimed by the manufacturer, or the product can obviously be made useless through unilateral action by the manufacturer, and no exception is given for the time frame of the product’s life cycle, mark FAIL.

3) The manufacturer will not cease to support the functionality I come to expect during the product life cycle.

• Look in the product’s legal documentation including the terms of service, warranty, or other product information or description sources.
• Look for any commitments by the manufacturer to support the product for a certain amount of time, including with firmware updates, new features, or security updates, or that the service the product relies upon will continue to be operated during such a time.
• If the manufacturer provides assurance of continued operation of both the physical device and the underlying service (insofar as either exist), mark PASS.
• If the manufacturer does not provide assurances of continued operation of both the physical device and the underlying service, mark FAIL.

4) Replacement services will exist if the manufacturer ceases to support the functionality during the product life cycle.

• Look in the product’s legal documentation including the terms of service, warranty, or other product information or description sources.
• Attempt to locate any information about the availability of replacement services.
  • Bear in mind that manufacturers that expect to support their products throughout the lifecycle (as tested by the prior indicator), may not provide information about post-support functionality.
• If the manufacturer commits to supporting the product throughout the life cycle, mark PASS.
• If the manufacturer indicates that some form of replacement service will exist if the manufacturer ceases support, mark PASS.
• If the manufacturer does not provide any indication that some form of replacement service will exist if the manufacturer ceases support, mark FAIL.

5) The company commits that, in the event the company is sold or acquired, the new owner will maintain the intended functionality for the full product life cycle.

• Note: This indicator is likely to be one that companies are unable to pass in at least some cases. If a company is acquired its management may not have any means by which to bind the new owners to continue to maintain functionality.
• Look in the product’s legal documentation including the terms of service, warranty, or other product information or description sources.
• Look in particular for any sections detailing the potential sale or acquisition of the manufacturer.
• If the manufacturer commits that any future owner of the business will maintain the product’s functionality for the full product life cycle, mark PASS.
• If the manufacturer does not promise that any future owner of the business will maintain the product’s functionality, mark FAIL.