In May 2024, NEC announced what many in the industry had seen coming for years: a complete exit from the on-premises phone system business outside Japan. For businesses running NEC SL2100, SV9100, SL1100, UNIVERGE, or any other NEC system, this announcement set a clock running. Two of the three key deadlines have now passed. The third — end of NEC technical support — lands on March 31, 2026. And there’s an important update from early 2025 that changes the picture for SV9100 users specifically.
The NEC EOL Timeline — What Has Happened and What’s Coming
December 31, 2024 — End of new system sales. (Passed.) NEC stopped accepting new purchase orders for SL2100, SV9100, SV9500, and UNIVERGE 3C systems, hardware, expansion cards, phones, and spares. Any NEC hardware needed after this date must come from existing reseller inventory or the secondary refurbished market.
March 31, 2025 — End of last shipments. (Passed.) The final target date for shipment of any purchase orders accepted before December 31, 2024. NEC’s manufacturing pipeline is closed.
March 31, 2026 — End of NEC technical support. (Active — imminent.) NEC will no longer provide technical assistance, OS updates, security patches, or software fixes for on-premises systems after this date. Systems running past this date are unpatched and unsupported by the manufacturer.
Here is NEC’s original letter to dealer partners, issued in May 2024:
“Dear Valued Professional,
I am writing to you with an important update concerning NEC’s Unified Communications business. Today we are announcing that we have formally made the decision to exit our on-premise UC business outside of Japan over the next few years.
This change applies to all of our on-premise UC products. Subject to the above, please note that from today’s announcement:
– We will not accept any new Purchase Orders received after Dec. 31, 2024, nor will we enter into any new commitments/renewals/extensions after that date;
– We will not accept any new Purchase Orders with a scheduled or expected delivery date after March 31, 2025; and
– We will also not provide any hardware and/or software support services beyond March 31, 2026, except for any existing contractual obligations.
Sincerely,
NEC Corporation of America”
The February 2025 Update: Forerunner Technologies Acquisition
In February 2025, Forerunner Technologies acquired NEC’s on-premises UC business in the Americas. This is a meaningful development for SV9100 users in particular. Forerunner has committed to continuing software support and licensing for the SV9100 platform through 2030 — which removes the hard March 2026 support cliff for customers who purchase software assurance through Optus, the primary distributor for the Forerunner channel.
What this means in practice:
For SV9100 users: There is now a viable path to remain on the platform with continued support through 2030, provided you establish a software assurance relationship with the Forerunner/Optus channel. Hardware availability from existing inventory continues, though the SL2100 manufacturing plant is permanently shut down and no new SV9100 hardware is being manufactured from NEC.
For SL2100 users: The Forerunner acquisition provides less relief. The SL2100 manufacturing plant is permanently closed. Hardware is limited to existing reseller inventory and the secondary refurbished market. Software assurance options exist but the hardware constraint is real — when a component fails and inventory is exhausted, replacement becomes difficult or impossible.
For SL1100, SV8100, Aspire, and XN120 users: These systems reached end of life before the 2024 announcement — the SL1100 and SV8100 lost support in 2019. The Forerunner acquisition does not extend any path for these older platforms. If your business is running one of these systems, there is no manufacturer support path remaining and migration should be treated as urgent.
What NEC Users on SL2100 Should Do
The SL2100 is the most widely installed NEC system in small businesses. Its manufacturing plant is permanently closed and hardware is limited to existing inventory. Software support through Forerunner is available but the hardware constraint is the dominant risk — a failed CPU or main unit with no replacement available means the system is done.
The honest recommendation: plan a migration now, on your schedule, while the system is still functioning. Waiting for a hardware failure to force the issue is the most expensive and disruptive way to upgrade. Phonewire migrates NEC SL2100 businesses to modern VoIP — your existing number ports, the old system stays live until cutover, and the transition happens in a single day. See the full NEC SL2100 replacement guide.
What NEC Users on SV9100 Should Do
The SV9100 has the most viable stay-on-platform path thanks to the Forerunner acquisition. If your SV9100 is functioning well, you have expansion capacity remaining, and you’re willing to establish a software assurance relationship through the Optus/Forerunner channel, staying on the platform through 2030 is a defensible choice.
That said, the channel ecosystem has fundamentally changed. Many of the NEC-certified technicians and dealers who supported these systems for years have moved to other platforms. If your current NEC dealer is still actively supporting the SV9100, maintaining the relationship and platform is reasonable. If your support relationship has become difficult, or you’re experiencing increasing hardware issues, evaluating a migration makes sense now rather than later.
What NEC Users on SL1100, SV8100, or Older Systems Should Do
These systems have been unsupported since 2019. There is no manufacturer support path, no Forerunner acquisition benefit, and no future for these platforms. Parts come from the secondary refurbished market at increasing cost and decreasing availability.
If your business is running an SL1100, SV8100, Aspire, or XN120 today, the question is not whether to migrate — it’s how quickly you can do it before a hardware failure forces an emergency replacement under time pressure. Phonewire handles these migrations with the old system running until cutover day, so there’s no service gap during the transition.
What Phonewire Installs as an NEC Replacement
NEC built its reputation on hybrid systems that supported analog phones, digital phones, and IP on the same platform — which meant businesses could migrate gradually without replacing every handset at once. Phonewire’s P560 Hybrid system takes the same approach: it supports analog, digital, and IP endpoints on the same platform, which means existing wiring and in many cases existing handsets can remain in service during and after the migration.
The full NEC replacement includes: your existing phone numbers ported to the new system, a professionally configured auto-attendant and voicemail, ring groups and extensions set up to your org chart, the Linkus UC mobile app for any staff who need mobile access, and same-day staff training. The old NEC system stays live until cutover. Phonewire installs nationwide.
Running an NEC System? Get a Free Migration Assessment.
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