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Save the Date: Microsoft Products End of Life

There are one of two reactions every person gets when they get a save-the-date card in the mail. They either are excited for an event or they realize that the event is going to cost them money. For today’s blog, we give you our version of save the date as some of the most widely used Microsoft products in recent memory are coming up on their end of support date, and for some businesses, this save-the-date might be bad news.

We know that unsupported software can be a complete nightmare. This is especially true if the unsupported software is a critical component of your company’s computing infrastructure. Microsoft has announced that they will be officially ending support for two major operating systems, Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7, on January 14, 2020. Both pieces of software are currently in their extended support periods, meaning that people can pay Microsoft to support the software, but after January 2020, neither piece of software will have any type of support available.

Windows 7
In 2016, all Windows 7 users were given the option to upgrade away from the OS to Microsoft’s newest OS, Windows 10. Users that didn’t take advantage of that offer have since had to pay for it, but if you haven’t upgraded away from Windows 7 by now, you are probably paying for support or not receiving any, both of which are not advantageous. By upgrading today, you will get ahead of what could be a major problem down the road. Waiting until the last minute to implement new versions of the OS is not recommended, since upgrading sometimes comes with hidden problems and legacy software issues that could put your whole organization at risk.

Windows Server 2008 R2
In what will be a larger problem for businesses, support for the already extended Windows Server 2008 R2 is definitely going away. For the last four years, Microsoft has insisted that anyone using Windows server 2008 R2 needs to upgrade, but since it kept offering extended support, businesses kept on using it. Well, Microsoft has announced the end is near for the decade-old server OS.

Newer versions of Windows Server have a lot of new options, especially in the arena of virtual environments. So while it is possible to swap out Server 2008 R2 for another Windows Server OS, the best course of action will be to scrap the old server altogether and upgrade to new infrastructure. Since there are substantial costs that go along with changing servers, companies still using the old software will want to do their best to start upgrading immediately.

At COMPANYNAME, we can help any-sized business get upgraded, while finding you innovative options to reduce the capital costs of doing so. To find out more, contact us at PHONENUMBER.

Will These End Of Life Events Affect Your Company’s IT?

One of the best ways your organization’s network can remain secure is to always use the most recent version of any critical software solutions on your network. Unfortunately, making the jump to a more recent operating system is easier said than done, particularly for small businesses that have limited budgets. The problem of security becomes even more pressing for businesses that need to upgrade multiple servers and workstations, as failing to do so could prove to be fatal for your organization.

Windows software products eventually reach an End of Life event, which is when they stop receiving patches and security updates that keep the software functioning smoothly. These updates generally fix vulnerabilities which could be exploited against your business, as well as operational problems which can keep your organization from running at 100 percent. Using software that’s out of date could result in your organization being put into a dangerous situation. In fact, if you are using out-of-date software, you are putting your network, and all the data on it, at risk.

Just a few months ago, Windows Vista reached its End of Life event. Microsoft no longer supports either Vista or Windows XP, though the two couldn’t be further from each other in terms of popularity and usage. The lack of support for XP just goes to show that even the most popular operating systems eventually have to come to an end of support. The next Windows OS to reach an End of Life event is Windows 7, on January 14th, 2020. Another common server OS that is also reaching its end of life on the same day is Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise.

The time is now to evaluate your systems and know which operating systems your organization relies on. Businesses will have to take a considerable jump to the next stage, upgrading their workstations and servers so as not to fall off the support bandwagon. Not all businesses have the time and resources to ensure this happens, though, so it’s best to keep this issue at the top of your mind, as Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 RN will be rendered obsolete in the near future.

We recommend that you don’t wait until the last minute to implement a solution to your end of life event situation. The reason for this is that the upgrading process could come with hidden troubles that only make themselves known when the process has started. If your legacy applications stop working properly, any processes that rely on them in order to stay functional will cease. This downtime can have considerable effects on your business, so it’s best to keep your implementation as seamless as possible.

You need to think about upgrading your soon-obsolete technology before its end of life event hits. This goes for both Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 RN. We are purposely informing you of these dates now, so that you have plenty of time to think about how you want to approach this elephant in the room. To learn more about how to upgrade away from your business’s obsolete technology, reach out to us at PHONENUMBER.