All Arkoon Network Security products (new appliance or new software version) meet quality management policy requirements, in particular the follow-up of lifecycle phases.

Arkoon security appliances integrate a software part (the system) with a wide range of versions, and a hardware part (the appliance). The end product is the integration of the software system into the appliance.

Arkoon appliances system software changes over time. There are two main reasons for these evolutions:

1 - Functional evolution:

• System evolution (kernel, functionality, security).
• Ergonomics evolution for the IHM interfaces (configuration process simplification, on-line commands addition, etc.).
• Audit and reporting elements evolution.

2 - Patching:

• Security patches.
• Functional patches.

Arkoon defines 2 types of system versions:

• Major versions *
• Evolutive versions** 

 
During its lifecycle (detailed below), every version (major or evolutive) may be subject to patches (security or functional patches):

• Patches***

*Major version:
A major version is maintained for 36 months.
Frequency of major versions = released approximately every 9 months

**Evolutive version:
An evolutive version is an intermediate version released between two major versions.
Period of corrective software maintenance = until the release of the next evolutive
version (around 3 months)
Frequency of evolutive versions = release approximately every 3 months (linked to new functionalities availability)

***Corrective patches:
Frequency of corrective patches: linked to the patch components criticability