On April 8, 2014 Microsoft will be sunsetting both Windows XP and Office 2003. After this date, Microsoft will no longer support these products or allocate resources to patch security holes and fix bugs.
From Microsoft
After April 8, 2014, there will be no new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates.
Running Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 in your environment after their end of support date may expose your company to potential risks, such as:
* Security & Compliance Risks: Unsupported and unpatched environments are vulnerable to security risks. This may result in an officially recognized control failure by an internal or external audit body, leading to suspension of certifications, and/or public notification of the organization’s inability to maintain its systems and customer information.
* Lack of Independent Software Vendor (ISV) & Hardware Manufacturers support: A recent industry report from Gartner Research suggests “many independent software vendors (ISVs) are unlikely to support new versions of applications on Windows XP in 2011; in 2012, it will become common.” And it may stifle access to hardware innovation: Gartner Research further notes that in 2012, most PC hardware manufacturers will stop supporting Windows XP on the majority of their new PC models.
In layman’s terms, if you’re running WinXP or O2k3 come this time next year, not only are you on your own for support, but you’re also running a serous risk of becoming infected with Malware that may not be able to be cleaned. Also, you can bet your next paycheck that hardware manufacturers (printers, webcams, storage devices, etc.) will not be writing drivers for Windows XP. Quite simply, your new stuff won’t work on your old PC. DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU.
If you’re a Diligex customer, our Help Desk will still answer questions and provide support for PC’s running either XP or Office 2003, but our Managed Services platform will not be updating your systems (as there will be no updates to be had). For this reason, we’ve already contacted you or will be soon to discuss your options.
So, what to do? Unfortunately, there is no easy Operating System ‘upgrade’. There are no disks or app downloads that will take you into the current and supportable era with a few clicks of a mouse. And you really wouldn’t want to go that route anyway… Chances are that your PC or Laptop wouldn’t meet the minimum requirements of either Win7 or Win8 and even if they did, neither of the new OS versions would run very well on your Pentium 4 processor and 1-2GB of RAM.
As for Microsoft Office, The current version of Office (2013) isn’t compatible with WinXP. Office 2010 is, but Microsoft has all but removed if from the retail channel, so Office 2013 is really the only option for home users.
If your a Business or uber-technology home, you may want to consider Cloud Hosted Desktops (DaaS or VDI) before shelling out your hard earned capital on a bunch of new hardware and software.
As for home users, it’s time to pull the trigger on that new PC that you’ve been holding off on buying. If you need any recommendations, let us know via the comments section, our Facebook or Twitter page – we’ll be glad to point you in the right direction!
So, in short conclusion, DON’T BE THAT GUY (or GAL) that waits until it’s too late to migrate off of XP and Office 2003. Doing so puts not only your data, but also your home and office networks at risk.