What Does Planned Obsolescence Mean?
Planned obsolescence is a process of expiring, depleting or withdrawing a product at a specified date or time interval. This technique is used in different organizational domains to set the decommissioning time of a hardware, software, network or Internet product or service.
Planned obsolescence is also known as built-in obsolescence or predefined obsolescence.
Techopedia Explains Planned Obsolescence
Original equipment manufacturers (OEM) typically implement planned obsolescence when defining the lifespan of a product. During this period, the underlying product is expected to perform at peak performance. After its lifespan, the product becomes outdated, non-useful or nonfunctional.
For example, a server may become incompatible or incapable after five years. To achieve optimal performance, replacing the server would be required. Thus, consumer organizations and individuals evaluate the fit-for-use duration of computing appliances and calculate and plan the date when withdrawal, or planned obsolescence, is required.
