Support for Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 ends April 8, 2014
As many people have now heard, support for Windows XP of Office 2003 will end on (a quickly approaching) April 8th. There will be no more security updates or technical support for the Windows XP operating system, making it very important for customers to migrate to a modern operating system such as Windows 8.1. Customers moving to a modern operating system will benefit from dramatically enhanced security, broad device choice for a mobile workforce, higher user productivity, and a lower total cost of ownership through improved management capabilities.
Microsoft has posted the important information all users need to know before support ends. Here’s a summary:
What does end of support mean?
After April 8, 2014, Microsoft will no longer provide security updates or technical support for Windows XP. Security updates patch vulnerabilities that may be exploited by malware and help keep users and their data safer. PCs running Windows XP after April 8, 2014, should not be considered to be protected, and it is important that you migrate to a current supported operating system – such as Windows 8.1 – so you can receive regular security updates to protect their computer from malicious attacks.
Read the Windows lifecycle fact sheet to learn more.
How do I migrate off Windows XP?
Microsoft offers large organizations (500+ employees) in-depth technical resources, tools, and expert guidance to ease the deployment and management of Windows, Office, and Internet Explorer products and technologies.
Organizations of all sizes can benefit from Arraya’s Modern Desktop Readiness Assessment, which provides a high-level review of an organization’s hardware, application compatibility, and application inventory, to ensure that 100% of a customer’s systems and applications can be made ready for migration to Windows 7/8. With the results generated from the assessment, you can make informed decisions on how to strategically move forward into the next era of the desktop.
Learn More and Get Started now.
Potential risks of staying with Windows XP
Running Windows XP SP3 in your environment after April 8, 2104 may expose you to potential risks, such as:
Security:
Without critical Windows XP security updates, your PC may become vulnerable to harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software which can steal or damage your business data and information. Anti-virus software will also not be able to fully protect you once Windows XP itself is unsupported.
Compliance:
Businesses that are governed by regulatory obligations such as HIPAA may find that they are no longer able to satisfy compliance requirements.
Lack of Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Support:
Many software vendors will no longer support their products running on Windows XP as they are unable to receive Windows XP updates. For example, the new Office takes advantage of the modern Windows and will not run on Windows XP.
Hardware Manufacturer support:
Most PC hardware manufacturers will stop supporting Windows XP on existing and new hardware. This will also mean that drivers required to run Windows XP on new hardware may not be available.
With just 2 weeks remaining until support runs out, the time to act is now. Contact Arraya today to start modernizing your desktops efficiently and securely.
