With Microsoft’s retirement of Windows XP and Office 2003 just around the corner, companies have been forced to think about their options for upgrading to a modern operating system or risk exposing their business to potential issues from the soon-to-be redundant software.
But what does the end of XP and Office 2003 support
actually mean for businesses?
From 8 April 2014, there will be no further security
updates, fixes, support or online technical updates.
For any businesses continuing to run Windows XP and
Office 2003 after this date could be left open to a number
of potential risks:
Security threats – without critical Windows XP security
updates, PCs are vulnerable to harmful viruses, spyware
and other malicious software
Non-compliance issues – because of the above, certain businesses may no longer meet their regulatory or industry compliance requirements
IT issues – many software and hardware vendors will no longer support their products running on Windows XP
Downtime – the risks of system failure and business disruption could increase because of the end of support and the increasing age of hardware running Windows XP.
However, the benefits of upgrading your PCs extend far beyond the need to removing the potential risks associated with continuing to run XP (or indeed any outdated operating system such as Windows 2000 or Vista), with a positive business case for upgrading to a modern OS such as Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1.
The enhanced productivity, flexibility and operational efficiency offered through the latest PC operating systems and office applications, including cloud-based options, allows your business to stay ahead of the game and be ready for future growth.
With at least three viable Windows options (version 7, 8 and 8.1) available however, many business users remain confused about the most appropriate choice as well as concerned about the process of migration itself, but for those that outsource their IT to a managed services provider, the good news is that upgrading won’t be a headache.
As experts, your managed IT service provider can explain the options available, determine the best fit for your business operations and execute the appropriate migration plans for you, taking the complexity away and allowing you to continue to run your business at full capacity in the meantime.
Visit Amshire to find out more