What You Need to Know About The End of Microsoft Windows XP

window_XP Microsoft Corporation recently announced that it is ending support for the Microsoft Windows XP operating system and Microsoft Office 2003 on April 8, 2014.

If you are one of the many businesses still running Windows XP and its related programs, when support officially ends changes will occur that could have a huge impact on your business.

After the end date there will be no new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates. The products will be completely unsupported.

What this means to you is that running Windows XP SP3 after end of support date will expose your company to potential risks such as:

Intrusion Attacks: Without Microsoft to provide updates that prevent hacker attacks, workstations with Windows XP will become increasingly vulnerable to intrusion putting confidential data and network security at risk.

Security & Compliance Risks: Unsupported and unpatched environments are vulnerable to security risks. This may lead 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 & Hardware Manufacturer support: It has been predicted that many independent software vendors and hardware manufacturers are unlikely to support new versions of applications on Windows XP when support ends.

Upgrading will most likely require new hardware as well as software. For companies with one or two older workstations this will not be a huge inconvenience but for larger companies, upgrading could be painful.

The good news is that Proactive Network Technologies has developed implementation strategies that can help minimize the cost and stress of migrating to a new operating system.

One of the strategies we recommend to clients to normalize IT purchase costs and reduce overall maintenance costs is to implement a 3:30 plan, where you upgrade the oldest 30% of your technology every year. Over three years your technology becomes current, allowing your workforce to be faster and more productive and is within the typical component warranty so the cost to fix or replace goes down an average of 15% per year.

Microsoft’s announcement means businesses with older technology need to move more quickly. We are recommending a 4:25 Q program where the oldest 25% of the Windows XP/Office 2003 workstations and laptops are replaced every quarter until we’ve reached the end of life date.

This spreads out the upgrade expenses over a year and puts you in a position to go on a 3:30 plan and never have to worry about getting caught without support again. Putting the workstations on financing opens the door to even lower monthly costs for upgrading your technology.

We understand that upgrading computers is a big hassle. We pledge that we’ll make the process as painless as possible so your business can stay focused and experience the full benefits of newer, faster software, and equipment. Please let us know how we can help you.


Leave a comment!

You must be logged in to post a comment.

What You Need to Know About The End of Microsoft Windows XP

window_XP Microsoft Corporation recently announced that it is ending support for the Microsoft Windows XP operating system and Microsoft Office 2003 on April 8, 2014.

If you are one of the many businesses still running Windows XP and its related programs, when support officially ends changes will occur that could have a huge impact on your business.

After the end date there will be no new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates. The products will be completely unsupported.

What this means to you is that running Windows XP SP3 after end of support date will expose your company to potential risks such as:

Intrusion Attacks: Without Microsoft to provide updates that prevent hacker attacks, workstations with Windows XP will become increasingly vulnerable to intrusion putting confidential data and network security at risk.

Security & Compliance Risks: Unsupported and unpatched environments are vulnerable to security risks. This may lead 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 & Hardware Manufacturer support: It has been predicted that many independent software vendors and hardware manufacturers are unlikely to support new versions of applications on Windows XP when support ends.

Upgrading will most likely require new hardware as well as software. For companies with one or two older workstations this will not be a huge inconvenience but for larger companies, upgrading could be painful.

The good news is that Proactive Network Technologies has developed implementation strategies that can help minimize the cost and stress of migrating to a new operating system.

One of the strategies we recommend to clients to normalize IT purchase costs and reduce overall maintenance costs is to implement a 3:30 plan, where you upgrade the oldest 30% of your technology every year. Over three years your technology becomes current, allowing your workforce to be faster and more productive and is within the typical component warranty so the cost to fix or replace goes down an average of 15% per year.

Microsoft’s announcement means businesses with older technology need to move more quickly. We are recommending a 4:25 Q program where the oldest 25% of the Windows XP/Office 2003 workstations and laptops are replaced every quarter until we’ve reached the end of life date.

This spreads out the upgrade expenses over a year and puts you in a position to go on a 3:30 plan and never have to worry about getting caught without support again. Putting the workstations on financing opens the door to even lower monthly costs for upgrading your technology.

We understand that upgrading computers is a big hassle. We pledge that we’ll make the process as painless as possible so your business can stay focused and experience the full benefits of newer, faster software, and equipment. Please let us know how we can help you.


Leave a comment!

You must be logged in to post a comment.