not sure if you had an updated response for this, though there is no EOS announcement IBM has a note regarding their strategic direction and recommending to not use EKM for new encryptions @ following URL
"EKM should no longer be downloaded for new tape encryption installations." http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?&uid=ssg1S4000504 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN