Grace period for ETIM v8

Will there be an officially stated (by ETIM International) grace period for getting in place with data according to version 8 to be published Nov 2nd?  Or is it just ASAP?

Good question and always difficult! Some data suppliers (using ETIM dynamic) might be ready at the moment of release and will want to be able to communicate the new version asap, but many will need a considerable time to update. What is a reasonable period that balances both the best? 

A long time ago (in the beginning of my time at ETIM NL) we used to advice on a 6 month period after release of a new version before data according to the new version were expected to be available. But then we realized that as ETIM we can't really determine let alone impose that. 

A few considerations: 

1. As ETIM we only manage the empty model structure, we are not involved in the actual data exchange/distribution. 
2. We could only make a suggestion for a reasonable grace period, we are not in a position to demand anything from you. Your customers on the other hand might put pressure for a quick implementation.
3. Other stakeholders like central product databases are better able to estimate the best ‘balanced’ implementation period for a version change.
4. The situation can vary greatly per country. I know that in Germany a grace period of one year is (or at least used to be) common, in others it might be asap or else. 
5. Where it seems obvious to always change to the latest version, in some countries older versions stay in use for a longer time, sometimes even different versions at the same time (which I would not advice)

Summarized: the market is the best mechanism to determine a reasonable grace time, which can differ per country/region. 
(where I still think 3-6 months is reasonable ?)