Software Obsolescence: Causes, Law and Solutions

Planned obsolescence: what are we really talking about?

In a constantly evolving digital world, our electronic devices become obsolete at an astonishing pace. This is often less about hardware failure than about a more insidious factor: planned obsolescence, a phenomenon that takes several forms (technical, aesthetic, functional, software). For a complete overview of these different types and their consequences, read our article on planned obsolescence. Here, we focus on one of the most pernicious forms: software obsolescence.

This last type deserves particular attention. Software obsolescence occurs, for example, when the manufacturer stops providing security updates or makes updates incompatible with previous versions. Worse still, some updates deliberately make the software heavier, reducing the device's performance and thereby encouraging its premature replacement. This phenomenon is particularly common in smartphones, computers and other connected devices.

Causes and consequences…

The motivations behind software obsolescence are many. From a commercial standpoint, it supports a business model based on the rapid replacement of equipment. By encouraging users to replace devices that still work, it fuels growth, but at the cost of wasted resources and an increased environmental footprint.

From a technical standpoint, introducing new features or security fixes can require more computing power or memory, making older devices unsuitable. However, this incompatibility is not always inevitable; it sometimes results from design choices that do not take durability into account.

The consequences of this obsolescence are serious:

• Environmental: manufacturing a new device consumes scarce natural resources and has significant environmental impacts. Shortening the lifespan of digital equipment therefore runs counter to the goals of digital sobriety and ecological transition.
• Economic: for companies, software obsolescence means additional costs related to buying new equipment, training employees, and managing service interruptions or software incompatibilities.
• Social: it widens the digital divide by quickly making obsolete equipment that could still be useful, particularly for local authorities or low-income households.
  
  

What the law (finally) says on the subject

In light of these findings, lawmakers have begun to react. The concept of software obsolescence is now better defined in legislation. Transparency obligations have been introduced for manufacturers, who must inform consumers about how long software updates will be available, distinguishing security updates from those that add new features.

The regulations also aim to limit practices that make equipment unusable prematurely, for example by requiring that updates do not degrade device performance. The idea is to strengthen the right to digital durability by allowing users to freely choose whether or not to install an update, without affecting their access to the service.

This development is part of a broader movement driven in particular by the loi anti-gaspillage pour l’économie circulaire (French anti-waste and circular economy law), which aims to extend product lifespans and limit obsolescence practices.

Although these regulatory changes are a step forward, their implementation is still partial. The challenge now is to ensure they are effectively enforced and to extend these measures to all players in the digital sector.

Practical levers for responsible companies

To effectively combat software obsolescence, several levers can be activated, especially by companies, which have a key role to play in this transformation.

First, it is important to promote greater transparency about the nature, frequency and impact of software updates. Giving users the ability to distinguish critical (security-related) updates from optional ones is an essential step in restoring their autonomy.

Next, extending software support periods and guaranteeing backward compatibility is an effective way to optimize the use of equipment over time. This requires a clear strategy for managing technical debt and IT obsolescence, particularly in complex information systems where each update can affect the entire hardware and software fleet.

Companies can also commit to optimizing the lifecycle of their equipment and managing their IT fleet: refurbishment, reuse, pooling and evolutive leasing are all practices that contribute to sustainable management of digital equipment. By acting on the lifespan of their equipment, they reduce both their environmental impact and their capital expenditure.

Finally, some organizations choose to build these concerns into the design of their products or services from the outset, developing software that uses less energy and is more compatible with older devices. This is a genuine paradigm shift, where performance is no longer measured only by power or novelty, but also by longevity and sobriety. It is an approach consistent with the principles of responsible digital, which promotes a more sober, ethical and sustainable use of technology.

Choose digital sustainability with Leasetic

At Leasetic, we are convinced that digital sustainability requires better equipment management and a responsible software strategy. With our approach based on evolutive leasing, equipment revalorization and IT lifecycle optimization, we help companies reduce their technical debt while lowering their environmental impact and their costs.

Do you want to upgrade your IT fleet while keeping control of your budget and your CSR commitments?
Contact our Leasetic experts to build a more sustainable digital future together.

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