PCR instrument Lifecycle Policy

Review LGC Biosearch Technologies' PCR instrument Lifecycle Policy.

Lifecycle Policy for instruments

Douglas Scientific (DBA: LGC Biosearch Technologies)

Douglas Scientific (hereafter “LGC”) operates a Lifecycle Policy under which each instrument model or type is on record as being in one of four lifecycle phases at any given time. The lifecycle phase determines the level of service that we will provide to support the instrument.

LGC endeavours to provide seven years of support after the manufacture of an instrument type is discontinued. This encompasses the Discontinued and End of Guaranteed Support lifecycle phases.

The four lifecycle phases are:

Current Product: We build this instrument type[i] today and ship it against new orders.

• Duration: Until manufacture of instrument type is discontinued
• Service Level: Full-service contract support, fee for service repair, technical support
• Repair parts: Provision of new[ii] quality repair parts for the type

Discontinued product: We no longer sell or build this instrument type. We may sell a successor product, or a new generation of the same product.

• Duration: Five years after manufacture of instrument type is discontinued
• Service level: Full-service contract support, fee for service repair, technical support
• Repair parts: Provision of new quality repair parts for the type

End of Guaranteed Support (EGS): This is a transition period during which we continue to provide support for the instrument type on a time and material basis. We no longer sell support plans or offer a guarantee of support beyond “reasonable effort”.

• Duration: Two years from the end of the discontinuation phase, i.e. years 6 and 7 manufacture of instrument type is discontinued
• Service Level: Repair service is provided on a time and materials basis according to the standard terms and conditions for this service level
• Repair Parts: We maintain new parts availability where possible. We will utilise tested used[iii] parts to make repairs if these are available and new parts are not.

Retired product: We no longer provide any support for the instrument type.

Duration: Indefinite

Service Level:

• Repair parts: Not offered
• Service personnel: Not available

Exceptions to the Lifecycle Policy

Certain business conditions may require that we pursue accelerated obsolescence and shorten the discontinued and/or EGS lifecycle phases or provide formal notification of the start of the EGS lifecycle phase less than a year in advance. LGC retains the right to make exceptions to the Lifecycle Policy at its sole discretion and without requirement for notification to customers or assumption of liability for costs incurred by customers as a result of the change.

[i] The definition of instrument type is not always solely the instrument name or part number. For example, both oKtopure and Meridian2 instruments underwent significant updates during the period in which they were sold. The versions before and after those major updates are treated as different instrument types for the purpose of instrument lifecycle. In such cases, instrument type will be identified by serial number.

[ii] New quality parts have never been built into an instrument that has been used by a customer or one of our own laboratories to measure samples.

[iii] Used quality parts are any parts that do not meet the definition of new above. These may include parts purchased as “used” on the secondary market, or removed from other LGC instruments that are no longer in use but are in LGC’s possession.