What is Backward Compatibility?

In telecommunications and computing, a product or technology is backward or downward compatible if it can work with older product or technology. If products designed for the new standard can receive, read, view or play older standards or formats, then the product is said to be backward-compatible.

For example if Intel i7 can run programs designed for Intel Core 2 Duo such a product is backward compatible.

The reverse is forward compatibility, which implies that old devices allow (or expected to allow) data formats generated by new (or future) devices, perhaps without supporting all new features. A standard supports forward compatibility if older product versions can receive, read, view, or play the new standard.