Microsoft has officially released the sunset date for Windows XP. This means that as of April, 8th 2014 support, updates, and security patching will no longer be available for users of this version of windows.
After that date all support will cease and users will no longer be protected against new security threats and malware. Not only that, but new software will likely not be written for the legacy operating system and thus upgrading to new versions of your software may not be possible and websites may not render properly in older browsers.
As Microsoft ends support for XP, a new research report concludes that large firms that stick with XP could end up paying an extra half million dollars ($500,000) in support costs to maintain the legacy systems. The longer companies wait to migrate to Windows 7 or 8, the more they will pay in migration costs as large migrations typically take 18+ months for large enterprise.
Despite the large costs associated with maintaining the legacy operating system, many of the firms surveyed cited price as the driver keeping them with XP as tough economic times for business are forcing them to put off the migrations.
From our experience moving to Windows 7 or 8 and properly managing your workstations will significantly reduce the support costs as Windows 7 is much less prone to problems and issues with new software and compatibility. The new operating systems also have built in anti-virus and anti-malware software to keep the workstations safe and remove the costs of 3rd party anti-virus solutions.
Microsoft has urged users to begin moving off Windows XP as quickly as possible.
Brendon Liner is a founding partner of nology, a Minneapolis IT Support and Cloud Solutions Provider helping businesses keep their critical data safe and secure. www.nologynetworks.com
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