Microsoft announced Windows XP’s end of life date as the 8th of April 2014 and Windows Server 2003’s as the 14th of July 2015.
Despite this, the Net Applications’ NetMarketshare numbers of September this year show that just over 12% of the total Microsoft users are still using Windows XP as their operating system. Putting it into perspective, more than 1 in 10 computers which is currently being used for banking, medical research, insurance claim processing, digital media creation, software development and other important business matters, is running on an operating system that has not been updated in over 18 months!
What is the downside of using Windows XP or Server 2003 machines?
Despite the fact that the software still works and most applications are still functional, the security risks which inherently arise due to the lack of support provided by Microsoft is quite alarming.
Since Microsoft stopped supporting XP in April last year, the company has not provided any technical assistance to businesses or consumers for Windows XP troubleshooting ,or provided any security patches or updates for the operating system.
On top of that, Microsoft Security Essentials for Windows XP such as free antivirus software, is no longer being updated.
This means that anyone who still has Windows XP or Server 2003 installed is extremely vulnerable to hackers as users no longer have the Windows Security software detecting the hundreds of security threats which were identified each year.
Another downside of having a Windows XP or Server 2003 machine, is that most new software and even updates to old software, will not run on these operating systems. As a business, this gives you significant disadvantage in the efficiency of the day to day operation of your business, compared to competitors who have modernised their IT systems.
Not only can an old operating system impact your software, but also new hardware such as printers and phones which will not work on old machines.
Organisations that continue to use Windows XP are not only leaving themselves exposed to security risks and support challenges, but could also be wasting money which could be used to modernise their IT investments.
If your business is still using XP or Server 2003 in your infrastructure, we highly recommend you upgrade.
Give us a call on 1300 903 405 if you are interested in modernising your system.
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