The Race to ReplaceMICROSOFT UPDATE: 9/16/19
Microsoft is pushing back its announced end of support date for Exchange Server 2010 only. Microsoft has decided to move the end of Extended Support for Exchange Server 2010 from January 14th 2020 to October 13th 2020.
Microsoft officials announced the push back on September 16. They said they adjusted "after investigating and analyzing the deployment state of an extensive number of Exchange customers." Officials added: "We also know that some of you are in the midst of upgrades to a newer version of Exchange Server on-premises, or more transformative migrations to the cloud with Office 365 and Exchange Online."
The October 13, 2020 date aligns with the end of support for Office 2010 and SharePoint Server 2010.
If your business uses Windows Server 2008 and/or Exchange 2010 for networking, databases, collaboration, and other office productivity, be aware that support for this product will end soon. Microsoft will end support for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 on January 14, 2020. Exchange 2010 will also reach end of support. That means you have less than twelve months to migrate to a new platform.
What Does End of Support Mean?
The term “end of support” is fairly self-explanatory. When a software product reaches the later stages of use, the manufacturer will no longer support it through security patches, upgrades, or customer support. For the end user, this means that their software will no longer receive an updated code to protect against viruses, malware, or other cyber attacks.
In some cases, the hosted applications maintenance support on these Windows servers terminates along with the Microsoft End of Life date.
But can you still use the software after support has ended? Yes, but do so at your own risk. For some businesses, not only does it mean increased security risks, but it can also mean a lack of industry compliance. This is particularly important in the wake of GDPR, especially for those who do business with customers in the European Union.
If your company uses Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, this application will also reach end of support. If you haven’t already begun your migration from Exchange 2010 to Office 365 or Exchange 2016/2019, now’s the time to start your planning.
Microsoft’s popular Windows 7 operating system also faces End of Life support.
Microsoft has started to display alerts in Windows 7 stating that the operating system will reach the end of support on January 14, 2020. This alert links to a page that then recommends users upgrade to Windows 10.
Can you still acquire support for an End of Life Product?
End of support can be a serious issue for businesses that don’t follow through on upgrades and migrations.
The options for clients include upgrading to newer versions of Windows, or, if upgrading isn’t immediately possible, paying an additional fee in order to continue receiving Extended Security Updates through 2023. The latter option is available to Windows Enterprise or Windows 7 Pro customers only, is priced per device, and will double in cost each year.
Things are a little different when it comes to Extended Security Updates for Windows 2008. Altogether, this can get confusing, so here’s a chart you can use when talking to clients about their options:
As noted above, the end of support date for Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7 is January 14, 2020. You still have time to prepare and protect your business, provided you begin the process soon. This can take time, choosing the right IT service provider can help with planning and offer the right guidance. Manhattan Information System can ensure this migration can be a smooth, successful transition.
Here are a few pointers to get started:
Still, need help to start the process? Manhattan Information System can help you to migrate away from these operating system as well as any other software approaching the end of life support.
We’ll help you determine your next steps and maintain a secure data environment throughout the process.
Manhattan Information Systems can remediate any security concerns with a proper migration to Microsoft's latest operating systems. We can leverage technologies that would be IT efficient such as virtualization integration. Another option is to leverage cloud readiness with migrations to such providers like Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services
Don’t jeopardize your company’s data security – contact us for more information!
A secure, efficient, network infrastructure is critical to business operations. It’s important to upgrade to a supported version of Windows and you have options – and making the right choice planning upgrades plays a major role in performance and reliability.
Learn more about expiring Microsoft “End of Life” products. Download our Information Guide today.
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