End Of The Road for Windows Server 2003

Time has nearly run out for Windows Server 2003, in a few short months Microsoft is going to stop support. This means that the stream of security updates and bug fixes customers have received over the last 12 years will cease. 

People may wonder what all the fuss is about: Windows Server 2003 has been around for 12 years, surely it’s time for an update, right? However, businesses typically don’t replace critical servers and infrastructure often, definitely not in the same way consumers upgrade to the latest Apple products. 

Microsoft will pull support on July 14, and over the last week businesses have been discussing the effect impending support suspension will have on SMEs who haven’t upgraded their servers. Over the next few weeks these businesses will have some major decisions to make about the future of their server environments, and we're here to help with this awkward transition.  

A recent survey from Spiceworks revealed that companies across the US are allocating $60,000 for migration-related expenses on average, and that many of these migrations have already begun. For SMEs in the UK, if you haven’t started migrating to new servers, now is definitely the time to do so, because after July 14 2015 holdouts face a risky future. 

When it comes to security, Windows Server 2003 is certainly no Fort Knox, but continuing to use it post July 14 could have some serious security repercussions. 

Ade Foxall, CEO of application portfolio management firm Camwood, believes that “after the recent migration away from Windows XP, IT departments should be more aware than ever of the dangers of using an out-of-date platform. And yet, the lack of awareness surrounding Server 2003 is about to pose an unprecedented security threat to businesses all over the world.”

There is an upside to moving away from Windows Server 2003: businesses have the opportunity to modernise their environments, like moving to the cloud. In another survey conducted by Spiceworks, they found that 64% of business planned to migrate to Windows Server 2012 while the remainder would take their applications into the virtual space.

This is a critical time for SMEs and it’s important that the right decisions are made. Here at 360ict we can help businesses move away from Windows Server 2003 in a simple and affordable manner. If you have any questions, please get in touch!  

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including London Victoria, Euston, Bromley and Croydon. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website.

Windows XP Still Going Strong

Despite being 13 years old, Windows XP is still one of the most popular operating systems according to Net Application’s Web stats, which gave XP a 16.9 share for the month of March. Even though it’s still the second most-used operating system, the number of people using XP has significantly dropped. Though XP’s grip on the market is loosening, it still beats Windows 8 and 8.1 collective share of 14 percent. Windows 7 holds the top spot, with a share of 58 percent. 

Microsoft ended support for XP over a year ago, which put an end to bug fixes, however users are still reluctant to upgrade, even though they are more vulnerable to security threats. 

This has had a ripple effect for other companies, for example, chipmaker Intel slashed nearly $1 billion of it’s quavery revenue outlook. This is mainly because small and midsize businesses have been reluctant to upgrade from XP. 

For those determined not to upgrade to Windows 8 or 8.1 the next release comes this summer when Windows 10 will become available. If SMBs want to upgrade from XP to Windows 10, it won’t be an easy process. You won’t be able to upgrade your PCs directly to Windows 10, you’ll have to upgrade to Windows 8.1 first, or buy new PCs already equipped with Windows 10 this summer: not the cheapest of options!

Are you a Windows XP user? Will you be sticking with XP or biting the bullet and upgrading to 8.1 to access 10? Let us know your thoughts! If you need help deciding, we're supporting companies in London Euston, Victoria, Croydon and Bromley throughout the year with their transition to Windows 10 - get in touch for more information. 

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including London Victoria, Euston, Croydon and Bromley. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website. 

Why Your SMB Needs Windows 10

Microsoft finally pulled down the curtain on Windows 10 just last week and with the double-digits came promises of holograms and a revamp that will see the OS push the company into an era of subscriptions and constant updates.

Where small businesses are concerned the new OS could be in situation where it is still trying to persuade certain firms to move over from Windows XP, even though the end of life was supposed to take place almost a year ago. What features will help it to do this though?

The Start Menu

Much to the chagrin of its user base Microsoft got rid of the start menu in Windows 8 and it makes a triumphant return on Windows 10 complete with a brand new interface. The Windows 8 tiled interface owed a lot to touchscreen devices and that explains why the live tiles still remain in some capacity in order for it to be an OS that spreads across all platforms - an advantage for BYOD policies.

Free upgrade

Everyone loves a freebie and the best news of all is that Windows 10 comes as a completely free upgrade for Windows 7 and 8 customers. So if you really hate what Windows 8 has done for your business rest assure that when 10 comes out you can get it free of charge - for a year at least.

Windows-as-a-Service

You’ve downloaded Windows 10 as a free upgrade but what about when it’s outdated? Microsoft will support your version of Windows for the entire lifetime of the device or devices in question through regular updates. It’s likely to have teething problems at first but after a while this new OS attitude will add value to your small business.

Keep your files even safer

Nothing has been confirmed by Microsoft and we might be jumping the gun but there have been hints of a new security feature that can keep your enterprise’s files extremely safe. It’s rumoured this would work by employing data separation at file level and removing the requirement for enterprise apps to be run inside a “container” that cannot be used by other apps on the machine. Under the new method files would stay completely secure when used across all devices or even uploaded to the cloud.

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including London Victoria, Euston, Croydon and Bromley. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website.