We’ve already discussed what the cessation of support for Windows XP means for your business. Deciding whether to upgrade to Windows 7 or 8 has had the Google+ community divided, though one thing is for sure: Windows XP is going to be missed. For years, Microsoft has been trying to get customers to stop using Windows XP, but the 12 year-old operating system has stubbornly refused to shuffle off into the sunset. Windows XP is still running on 37.7 percent of the world's PCs, according to June market share figures from Net Applications. The Windows Vista debacle is a big reason why XP is still hanging around many companies. In 2007, Microsoft extended support for Windows XP Home and Windows XP Media Center from 2009 to 2014, to match the end-of-support date for XP Professional.When Windows 7 debuted in 2009, XP was hovering at around 20 percent of Puget Systems' business, and it has dwindled steadily since them, Bach said in an email.
"It's the same for certain business applications where the upgrade –- not just of the OS, but of the hardware –- could destabilize a process that's working just fine for now," Brust said.I personally still sometimes hook on to Windows XP of my old laptop, it just was so nice is the thought on everyone's mind To celebrate the success of the operating system, Microsoft is throwing a retirement party in the form of this infographic
"It's the same for certain business applications where the upgrade –- not just of the OS, but of the hardware –- could destabilize a process that's working just fine for now," Brust said.I personally still sometimes hook on to Windows XP of my old laptop, it just was so nice is the thought on everyone's mind To celebrate the success of the operating system, Microsoft is throwing a retirement party in the form of this infographic
Though many have criticised this image as little more than an “8 reasons to upgrade to Windows 8” advert, it clearly depicts Microsoft’s vision for the future. Like it or not, Windows 8 is the direction Microsoft are headed, and it’s here to stay. The latest OS is steering towards bridging the gap between touch and desktop., not to mention a gentle push towards online collaboration and cloud storage with Office 365 & web apps. We’ve already noticed a trend in helping businesses make the transition from XP to Windows 7 ), and it won’t be long until we see a surge in Windows 8 converts. Security companies across the world have joined the effort and tell users to do this, even though everybody agrees that dumping XP and switching to a newer Windows version takes a lot of time, money, and other resources.
“There's certainly the potential for a lot of havoc, for instance new internet-propagating worms that target Windows XP systems, or even just an increase in Internet Explorer 8 browser exploits that could open the doors wide for all manner of malware infections,” Joshua Long of Sophos said in early April.
“If you don't think you can afford it, skip the Starbucks for a few months and set aside that money for a Windows upgrade.”
In addition, the tech giant shows absolutely no mercy for Windows XP and clearly stated that it had absolutely no intention to extend support for this old OS. And we can easily see why. Microsoft needs Windows 8 to be successful, and with so many people sticking to XP and 7, that's not going to happen too soon.The main issue for businesses is that Windows 8 in it’s own words, is a “reimagined version of Windows”. Metro tiles and app stores give the OS a completely new feel and user experience which is sure to upset some, though training on the new OS is surprisingly affordable:P With an ever-growing trend in mobile working and online collaboration, Microsoft is a successful tablet away from thwarting Apple’s recent dominance. And what better way to get users familiar with your latest tablet than to standardise the experience across all devices, even more so than Apple has done with the iPad, iPhone and Mac. Powerful tablets that can be docked as static PC’s are how we see the office of the future and Dell seem to think so too with the XPS 18. It’s a bold move from Microsoft. But they have realised that in the computing world, “if you’re standing still, you’re going backwards”. Innovation and product development is what’s going to take the desktop and tablet war to the next level.
Why ?
- Security & Compliance Risks: Unsupported and unpatched environments are vulnerable to security risks. This may result in an officially recognized control failure by an internal or external audit body, leading to suspension of certifications, and/or public notification of the organization’s inability to maintain its systems and customer information.
- Lack of Independent Software Vendor (ISV) & Hardware Manufacturers support: A recent industry report from Gartner Research suggests "many independent software vendors (ISVs) are unlikely to support new versions of applications on Windows XP in 2011; in 2012, it will become common." And it may stifle access to hardware innovation: Gartner Research further notes that in 2012, most PC hardware manufacturers will stop supporting Windows XP on the majority of their new PC models.
"Finally, after 12 years in active service, we're at a place where our customers will allow us to drop Windows XP," Bach told CRN.
Andrew Brust, CEO of Microsoft analyst firm Blue Badge Insights, New York, says many organizations are still using Windows XP because upgrading just isn't an option. Point-of-sale and other embedded apps are examples, he said
In 2002 Microsoft introduced its Support Lifecycle policy based on customer feedback to have more transparency and predictability of support for Microsoft products. As per this policy, Microsoft Business and Developer products, including Windows and Office products, receive a minimum of 10 years of support (5 years Mainstream Support and 5 years Extended Support), at the supported service pack level. Thus, Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 will go out of support on April 8, 2014. If your organization has not started the migration to a modern desktop, you are late. Based on historical customer deployment data, the average enterprise deployment can take 18 to 32 months from business case through full deployment. To ensure you remain on supported versions of Windows and Office, you should begin your planning and application testing immediately to ensure you deploy before end of support.
What does that mean to customers?
It means you should take action. After April 8, 2014, there will be no new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates.
Running Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 in your environment after their end of support date may expose your company to potential risks, such as:
Get current with Windows and Office. This option has upside well beyond keeping you supported. It offers more flexibility to empower employees to be more productive, while increasing operational efficiency through improved PC security and management. It also enables your organization to take advantage of latest technology trends such as virtualization and the cloud.
Who do you think will win out of the Windows XP retirement? Windows 8, Windows 7… or Mac OS X? Will the results vary in the long and short run?
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