Windows XP Retires in April 2014 – Whats your plan?

What’s Your Upgrade Plan?

As with most things, with age comes retirement. This is no different to computer software and Microsoft has long ago announced that Microsoft Windows XP and Microsoft Office 2003 versions will be retiring on 8th April 2014.

So what does this mean for businesses and the everyday user?

Windows XP would have been around some 12 odd years by that point and a similar amount of time for Microsoft Office 2003 (which is multiple lifetimes when it comes to computers). Both of these software applications face compatibility and security issues as well as increased maintenance costs after this time.

It’s not to say that your Windows XP computer or Microsoft Office 2003 software will “just stop working” come 8th April 2014, however more so there is a heightened security concern as more and more threats and vulnerabilities are discovered. This can be a major issue as these threats and vunerabilities will not be “fixed” or “patched” in these products. There is also a concern that many software vendors will no longer be supporting Windows XP or Microsoft Office 2003 with their products, meaning that should there be an issue with your accounting, CRM, or other software – you may be out on your own. This can lead to high immediate expenses when you need to upgrade in a hurried and unplanned manner.

So what do we need to do?

The first step is to analyse your systems, software and networks. A detailed audit of all software and applications needs to be carried out, and then checked with the vendor to ensure compatibility or an upgrade path.

Once the compatibility and upgrade paths have been worked out, hardware can then be sourced that will work with these new configurations. Other critical aspects would be to plan the timing of the upgrade, along with user training if required. You don’t want to have to upgrade during a busy period or where the risk exposure is too great!

The key to upgrading is preparation. It is by far easier to plan ahead and implement a system upgrade on your time schedule as opposed to someone else’s.

For smooth implementations we recommend involving your I.T. partner and getting the right advice upfront. Wrighton Computer Services has successfully migrated many clients to newer versions of Windows and other key software applications.

For more information or to book an appointment, contact Wrighton Computer Services on 1300 309 200.