Understanding Feature Release Stages: Beta, Limited Availability, and General Availability

Overview

As ZenQMS continues to evolve its platform, new features and capabilities are released in stages. This article explains what each stage means for you as a user, what you can expect during each stage, and how features progress toward full availability.

 

ZenQMS uses three release stages: Beta, Limited Availability (LA), and General Availability (GA).


At a Glance

Stage

Environment

Available for 
Production Use?

What to Expect

Beta

Non-production

No

Early access for feedback; not for production workflows

Limited Availability (LA)

Production

Yes, with constraints

Fully usable; controlled rollout

General Availability (GA)

Production

Yes

Full, unrestricted availability


Beta

Beta is an early access stage where new capabilities are made available for testing and feedback before they are released to production.

 

What this means for you:

  • Beta features run in non-production environments and are not available for production use

  • Beta features may be incomplete or contain known gaps - this is expected

  • Beta is an opportunity for ZenQMS to validate that a feature works well for real workflows before a broader release

What to expect:

  • Beta features will clearly be labeled as "Beta" in any communications or release notes

  • No commitments are made on final functionality, GA timing, or pricing during Beta

  • Not all features go through a Beta stage - it is used for major new capabilities or significant workflow changes


Limited Availability (LA)

Limited Availability means a feature is deployed in the production environment and is available for production use - but its rollout is intentionally controlled.

 

LA features are production-ready. You can rely on them in your workflows today. Access is managed in stages for reasons like:

  • Finalizing additional configuration or onboarding support

  • Completing documentation and training materials

  • Gathering production usage data to guide further development

  • Refining scalability and performance

What this means for you:

  • LA features are fully supported and safe to use in production

  • Access may not be enabled for all organizations by default

  • To request access to a feature in Limited Availability, contact your ZenQMS Customer Success representative


General Availability (GA)

General Availability is the standard release stage for ZenQMS features. A GA feature is:

  • Available to all customers

  • Stable, available and part of the core product offering

When a feature reaches GA, it will appear in the standard ZenQMS release notes and Help Center documentation without any stage designation.


How Features Progress

Features may move through stages in different ways depending on their complexity:

  • Beta → LA → GA (for major capabilities requiring staged rollout)

  • Beta → GA (if Beta validation confirms readiness for broad release)

  • Directly to GA (for smaller, well-understood enhancements)


Questions?

If you have questions about the availability of a specific feature or would like to request access to a Beta or Limited Availability capability, please reach out to your ZenQMS Customer Success representative or submit a ticket to HelpDesk at support.zenqms.com.

Enlarged view