The ASUS Chromebit (Model CS10) has been officially announced by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), ASUS, and Google as the operating software provider that the device will no longer receive automatic updates or technical support as of November 2020. This article will provide an overview of the impact this end of support will have on your digital signage device using the ScreenCloud app, in addition to suggestions for alternate hardware options or resources regarding Google’s Autoplay policy information.
Please note, as of August 2020, Google has announced tentative extended support for Chrome apps and services which were originally planned to have deprecated support as of the end of 2020. This is not a guarantee, but Google intends to extend some level of support to the Chromebit CS10 device as part of this action. To learn more about how this impacts your device and using ScreenCloud services, we advise reviewing the following articles:
How does this impact using the device for digital signage?
ASUS has announced that as of November 2020, the Chromebit (CS10) device will no longer receive updates as the manufacturer has determined a timeline for its Auto Update Expiration (AUE). An AUE refers to the end of support a manufacturer provides regarding a product that they no longer intend to provide with technical development or software updates in the future. If a product has reached its End of Life (EOL) support, this typically means that it no longer is provided with development support or updates from a manufacturer. When the end of life is reached for a device, this normally can include the following, according to ASUS’s website in which the company defines its EOL policy:
It is no longer manufactured
Its certification will not be renewed
Its firmware, utility, website, DM, QSG, and manual will not be updated
It may be replaced by a new product with updated hardware and similar functions
In this case, ASUS Chromebit CS10 devices, whether they are enrolled using a Chrome Device Management license in Kiosk Mode or are non-managed by a license from Google, the following will happen:
Automatic software updates from Google will no longer be provided
Existing and future policies may not work as intended
Technical support will not be provided for the product
Please note that after various testing with our team, we found that key features needed to run the ScreenCloud app on an ASUS Chromebit CS10 device, such as Chrome Enterprise Tools, Provisioning and Kiosk Mode, will still work as they are previously available features which are still supported by the device and version of Chrome OS that the device will be stuck on considering its last available update. The decision is up to the device owners to continue using the hardware-dependent on what will receive support, for example, other apps and services which are non-ScreenCloud related may also no longer be available or perform properly over time.
What are the suggested hardware alternatives to use?
As the end-of-life support enforced by ASUS as of November 2020 approaches within the coming months, we can recommend that it’s best advised to consider alternative hardware options for your digital signage and not purchase the ASUS Chromebit CS10 for use with digital signage, either from available stock or refurbished.
We recommend connecting with your hardware vendor or providers if you decide to pursue using another ASUS-manufactured or Chrome OS operating system device to run your digital signage. You can also view our hardware options and most recent supported devices by visiting https://screencloud.com/hardware.
However, our top alternative recommendation would be our very own hardware powered by ScreenCloud OS, which also contains its own RDM Console.
You can also review our resources for devices and operating system recommendations with ScreenCloud or our hardware set recommendations for digital signage here.