smartCARS has had a long but straightforward history (see smartCARS 3 Beta and Some History), it's been pivotal to how Virtual Airlines operate and how they allow for professional and seamless communication between pilots and their beloved communities. We have always aimed to deliver a high-value, reliable service, and we have seen many Virtual Airlines prosper with smartCARS 2 and its predecessor. The support and feedback from Virtual Airlines and their pilots have allowed us to improve and evolve smartCARS into a new, modern version which you already know as smartCARS 3.
As we progress further with smartCARS 3, it is important to consider smartCARS 2's life cycle as we and communities that use smartCARS 2 prepare to transition to the new, more advanced version. We will sunset smartCARS 2 in multiple phases, providing enough time for communities and pilots to adjust and allow a smooth transition to smartCARS 3. Indicated below will be a plan of how smartCARS 2 will be sunset, from the day smartCARS 3 releases to the day the smartCARS 2 servers are permanently closed.
Sunsetting Phases
Phase 1: smartCARS 3 Release (2023/09/18, T-0 days)
On the day smartCARS 3 releases, we will immediately halt any new sales and purchases of smartCARS 2 licenses. We are doing this to ensure that no customer purchases a license to software which will be in the process of being sunset.
Phase 2: License Updates Closed (2023/10/25, T+30 days, +1 week)
30 days after the release of smartCARS 3, smartCARS 2 license holders will no longer be able to update the application name or icon for their specific license. Web script URLs, logos, colors, and other settings changes will still be possible.
Additionally, our Support Team need to be able to focus on our newer and upcoming programs to provide support to customers. This means that Customer Support will no longer be provided via the helpdesk for smartCARS 2 and all support queries should be posted in the #smartcars-2 forum on Discord. Any submitted questions will be redirected to our community for discussion and resolution. As smartCARS 2 is End of Life, any reported bugs in smartCARS 2 will not be fixed, and all common errors have fixes available in our Knowledgebase.
Phase 3: Chat Closed (2023/12/18, T+90 days)
90 days after the release of smartCARS 3, we will suspend the chat server. No user in smartCARS 2 will be able to use the chat from this point.
Phase 4: Premium Disabled (2024/06/18, T+9 months)
9 months after the release of smartCARS 3, smartCARS Premium benefits will only be available in smartCARS 3. This means smartCARS 2 will no longer be able to process whether you have Premium or not, effectively disabling Premium functionality throughout the older application.
Phase 5: Final Sunset (2024/09/18, T+1 year)
A year after the release of smartCARS 3, we will complete the sunsetting of smartCARS 2 by closing the authorization servers. This will mean that no user will be able to access smartCARS 2 or its functionality.
We'd like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the remarkable community of Virtual Airlines and their pilots who have supported and provided invaluable feedback for smartCARS 2 throughout its journey. Your dedication and enthusiasm have been instrumental in shaping the development of smartCARS.
As we officially release smartCARS 3, we look forward to delivering an even richer experience, surpassing the capabilities of its predecessor. The transition to smartCARS 3 represents a significant milestone in our commitment to providing a high-value and reliable service for Virtual Airlines and their beloved communities.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us via our Helpdesk or our Discord where we will answer them as best as possible!
