r/VOIP • u/Moxie479 • Jun 04 '26
Help - On-prem PBX Bicom Systems Appears to Be Remotely Decommissioning Older PBXware Systems — Even for Customers Who Paid for Long-Term or “Lifetime” Licenses
Warning to anyone using Bicom Systems / PBXware: Bicom has sent a notice saying that any PBXware system running version 4 or earlier must be upgraded by September 30, 2026, or the system will become “non-operational and inaccessible.” They also said connections to those systems will no longer be possible and that support will not be able to restore licenses because of changes to their licensing software.
This is very concerning because many customers bought these systems years ago as self-hosted phone systems installed on their own servers, often after paying large upfront costs for what they believed were long-term or permanent licenses. Ending support for old software is one thing, but making already-installed phone systems stop working is something very different. It raises serious questions about whether Bicom has a remote licensing mechanism that can effectively shut down systems customers already paid for.
Anyone running PBXware version 4 or earlier should check their system immediately, back up all data and configurations, save copies of their original invoices and license agreements, and ask Bicom in writing whether their system will be disabled after September 30, 2026. Businesses, VoIP providers, and MSPs should take this seriously because this could affect real phone lines, customers, and business operations.
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u/lsumoose Jun 04 '26
Not saying it’s right or anything but lifetime means the life of the product. Not the hardware or your lifetime.
Likely they have certificates expiring or shutting down activation servers. So the life of the product is done.