Kindle-ing The Conversation: What Your Old E-Reader Shares With Tech Debt

Many Kindle users recently got an email from Amazon with some tough news: their trusty, 14-year-old Kindle won’t be able to buy, borrow or download new books as of May 20, 2026. The battery still works, and the screen is fine, but support for some models made before 2013 will end, a classic case of hardware tech debt. 

OIT teams encounter scenarios like this every day as they work to eliminate tech debt. Consider how the e-reader situation and Colorado’s tech debt are similar: 

• Kindles: Amazon stated that older hardware "can't keep up with the latest features and security needs.” Approximately 2 million of these older devices reportedly use 3G or older Wi-Fi standards and security protocols, which typically require more frequent updates.
• Aging state equipment: Every year, OIT identifies a list of network equipment that has reached LDOS or “last day of service”, similar to those old Kindles.

The equipment might still run, but the devices require costly, non-standard maintenance. 
Importantly, when state equipment loses manufacturer support, it becomes a greater target for security breaches, nearly overnight. Just as you don't want your e-reader to freeze in the middle of a good book, OIT never wants vital state services like child support or food benefits to be disrupted or unavailable. 

To safeguard our state’s technology, dedicated OIT teams are not only making one-time upgrades; they are building services and systems that are accessible, reliable and trustworthy so Coloradans have what they need, both now and in the future.