Microsoft is ending support for Windows XP and Office 2003

The 6 month countdown has begun……6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…… So, what does this mean?

On April 10th 2012 Microsoft reaffirmed that they would be ceasing support for Windows XP and Office 2003 after 12 and a half years of supporting XP.  Microsoft has gone out of its way to extend support on several occasions, however the 2014 deadline is now imminent.

As of April 8th 2014 there will be no further support from Microsoft.

Security implications
As Microsoft will no longer be releasing any security patches or updates for either product, it will become increasingly insecure over time as more vulnerabilities are found and not patched. Viruses and exploits will take advantage of out of date software.

Although anti-virus programs may be installed, these run on top of the operating system (XP), therefore if this is flawed it makes it more difficult for the anti-virus program to do its job effectively and thus leaving your system more susceptible to hackers.

The way forward
Planning for your migration, so you remain on a supported version of Windows and Office, should begin immediately.

Provided your current PC systems meet the requirements, an upgrade to either Windows 7 or Windows 8 would be highly recommended, together with an upgrade to Office 2010 or 2013.

Don’t delay
With only 6 months remaining until support is ceased, it is important to implement an upgrade as soon as possible so that compromise to your infrastructure is minimal.

For a detailed question and answer document or for support and guidance in replacing your infrastructure Contact us on 01473 241515.