Microsoft products going "End of Life" in 2020 - Windows 7, Server 2008 R2, SBS 2011, Exchange 2010, Office 2010, Office 2016

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As of 14th of January 2020, Microsoft will end support (also known as “end of life” or EOL) on the following PC and Server operating systems and applications -

  • Windows 7, all versions

  • Windows Server 2008R2

  • Windows Small Business Server 2011

  • Exchange 2010 SP3

 

What Does End of Life Mean?

End of life is the date after which an application is no longer supported by the vendor, in this case Microsoft.  Actions like updates, patching, Office 365 integration and most importantly security updates will no longer be pushed out by Microsoft.  After vendor support ends you are able to continue using the operating system or application but you would be doing so at greater risk to your corporate infrastructure. New computer viruses and other malware are being developed all the time. Without the security updates to fight them off, your data and your systems become progressively more vulnerable to hackers and other online threats.

What to do?

January 2020 may seem like a long way off but it can come around quickly if there is no strategy or budget in place to upgrade effected assets to current and supported operating systems.  If you have any of theses systems within your environment, we can provide upgrade options suitable to your environment and costs for budgeting.

Later in 2020...

Microsoft love to bring out new products, this also means their old ones will at some stage, all go end of life.

On the 13th of October 2020 the following products will also become end of life –

  • Office 2010, all versions

  • Office 2016, all versions for Mac only

As usual there are all the usual potential pitfalls around 3rd party application integrations and platform support but that’s why you has us to assist. If you require any further information about anything in this article please contact us at sales@atswa.com or 08 6550 0000.

News - Support for Windows Server 2003 and Windows Small Business Server 2003 ended July 14th 2015.

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IF YOU’RE RUNNING WINDOWS SERVER 2003, YOU’RE RUNNING 10+ YEAR OLD TECHNOLOGY.

Microsoft has ended support for Windows Small Business Server (SBS) 2003 and Windows Server 2003. If your business is relying on these solutions for day-to-day operation, this poses several risks:

  • Windows SBS 2003 and the workloads running on it has become more expensive to operate.
  • Exchange 2003 reached end of extended support on April 8, 2014, meaning your business-class email could be at risk.
  • Your computers and network could become vulnerable to malicious software and other security issues.
  • Any outdated software could create compliance issues.

Upgrade your Windows Server

Substantial improvements have been made in those 10 years that help businesses compete better in today’s marketplace. 

  • Reduced operational costs and increased efficiencies
  • Improved employee productivity
  • Ability to be cloud-ready
  • Increased business agility and ability to scale to accommodate business growth
  • Improved system availability
  • Ability to implement cost-effective backup and disaster recovery solutions 

Upgrading your ageing servers and operating systems can reduce costs and provide significant benefits that can easily outweigh any cost of upgrading. 

Windows Server 2016 redefines the server category, delivering game-changing features and enhancements in virtualisation, networking, storage, cloud computing, automation, and more.

If you are unsure if this may impact your business, please contact ATS Solutions

News - Windows XP Support has ended

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Since April 8, 2014, support and updates for Windows XP is no longer available. Don't let your PC go unprotected.

What is Windows XP end of support?

Microsoft has provided support for Windows XP for the past 12 years. But now the time has come for us, along with our hardware and software partners, to invest our resources toward supporting more recent technologies so that we can continue to deliver great new experiences.

As a result, after April 8, 2014, technical assistance for Windows XP will no longer be available, including automatic updates that help protect your PC. Microsoft will also stop providing Microsoft Security Essentials for download on Windows XP on this date. (If you already have Microsoft Security Essentials installed, you will continue to receive antimalware signature updates for a limited time, but this does not mean that your PC will be secure because Microsoft will no longer be providing security updates to help protect your PC.)

If you continue to use Windows XP after support ends, your computer will still work but it might become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. Also, as more software and hardware manufacturers continue to optimize for more recent versions of Windows, you can expect to encounter greater numbers of apps and devices that do not work with Windows XP.

How do I stay protected?

To stay protected after support ends, you have two options:

Upgrade your current PC

Very few older XP computers will be able to run current version of Windows, which is the latest version of Windows. We recommend you contact your ATS account manager to discuss if this is a viable option.

Get a new PC

If your current PC can't run current version of Windows, it might be time to consider shopping for a new one. Ask your ATS account manager what new PC's are available. They're more powerful, lightweight, and stylish than ever before—and with an average price that's considerably less expensive than the average PC was 10 years ago.