- Microsoft mainstream support ends on April 8, 2014
- Companies face multiple decisions and lack of time to make them
- Genesis10 provides solutions
On April 8, 2014 Microsoft will withdraw mainstream support for Windows XP. Given that this reliable desktop operating system will have been working for users for thirteen years at that point, it is certainly time for Microsoft to move on, and they want users to do so as well. But a most recent survey by NetMarketShare shows that more than a third (37.19%) are still using Windows XP, down only 4% since September of 2012.
On April 8, 2012 Microsoft Windows Marketing Director Stella Chernyak marked the start of a two-year countdown to the end of support for this now-venerable desktop operating system in the Windows Blog in a post titled “Upgrade Today: Two-Year Countdown to End of Support for Windows XP and Office 2003” in which she suggested that companies begin planning and executing their migration immediately. “We don’t recommend waiting,” intoned Chernyak, “Not only is it important for companies to complete deployment before support runs out, but they should also be aware that by upgrading to Windows 7 and Office 2010 today they can gain substantial results today while laying the foundation for future versions of these products.“
Deathwatch
The IT industry press reacted immediately with the many news services that cover Microsoft all replacing the word “countdown” with the more malevolent “Deathwatch.” Molly Klinefelter writing for MSNBC began her article “Death watch: Microsoft to end support for Windows XP in 2 years” saying “The end is coming. Repent!” Barry Levine in his article “Set Your Clocks – Two Year Deathwatch for XP” in CIO Today began with, “The Clock of Doom is now reading two years and counting for Microsoft’s XP operating system.” Greg Kaiser in ComputerWorld: “Microsoft yesterday kicked off what it called a “two-year countdown” to the death of Windows XP, its longest-lived operating system.” Paul McDougall posted “Microsoft Starts Windows XP Deathwatch” in InformationWeek.
All of these analysts and more forecast that two years was not a long time, explaining that it would take most companies between 12 to 18 months to successfully plan and execute the migration from Windows XP to Windows 7. Windows 8 had not yet been released.
What Does “The End of Mainstream Support” Mean?
At this writing there are about eight months left until Microsoft withdraws mainstream support for Windows XP. That doesn’t mean all Windows XP desktops suddenly stop working, it simply means that there will be no more updates or upgrades, and users will not be able to obtain free support from Microsoft. These updates come out regularly to update important things like security provisions, new threat signatures, bug fixes, patches, and more. Most users seldom or never think about them because their computers are set to implement them automatically.
More recently on the Windows Blog, Erwin Visser, General Manager for Windows Commercial Marketing at Microsoft posted, on April 8, 2013, “A Year From Now Support for Windows XP Ends, Now What?” in which he cautions “While end of support for Windows XP is still one year away, the migration process can take some time and may be costlier the longer you stay on Windows XP, ultimately putting your business at risk. The security landscape is ever-changing and new threats are coming to fruition every day, so it is critical that businesses ensure they protect their data and IP against the latest threats by deploying a modern Windows platform.”
Beyond the risk from having no protection against the new malware and viruses introduced daily, it’s a safe bet that many third-party support organizations will offer Windows XP support programs of their own at exorbitant rates. AppSense Director of Business Development and Product Marketing Michael Kleef, in his post “Enabling a Windows 7 Migration, Before It’s Too Late” warns that fully 45% of organizations have not yet “implemented a migration to a modern desktop such as Windows 7 or 8,” and that those organizations are now “stuck between a rock and a hard place. You either wear the risk of attack with precisely zero patches to protect you the moment April 8th 2014 passes or you pay handsomely for a custom support agreement.” Kleef estimates first year third-party support to start at $200 per device, rising to $1,000 in year three.
Microsoft’s Visser goes on to report that “Many companies of all sizes have either already made the switch off of Windows XP, or are in the process of migrating over to Windows 7 and Windows 8, enabling them to realize greater possibilities for their business using technology that simply wasn’t possible in 2001. Those that haven’t yet started their migration process need to begin as soon as possible to ensure that they meet the April 8, 2014 deadline.”
The Window is Closing, but it’s not yet closed!
The window for successfully completing a full migration from Windows XP to Windows 7 or 8 before you need to consider investing in very expensive support programs is certainly closing, well within even the most generous time estimates from April 2012.
This doesn’t mean it’s no longer possible.
What it does mean is that you will likely not be able to complete the migration without external help. There are many planning processes that must be accomplished, followed by many implementation procedures, including:
- Making the decision between Windows 7 and Windows 8
- Assessing all applications currently in use to determine compatibility issues
- Application upgrades
- Assessing user requirements
- Assessing device driver compatibility with all installed and planned units
- Deciding between in-place upgrades or fresh-start installations
- Identifying appropriate migration tools
- Virtual desktop considerations
- Designing deployment images
- Testing and evaluation
- Prototyping & Piloting
- Staged Implementation and User Training
Clearly there’s much to be done. For greater detail review the Gartner white paper Creating a Timeline for Deploying Windows 7 and Eliminating Windows XP.
Two Windows Migration Strategies from Genesis10 Managed Services
Clients have been engaging Genesis10 Managed Services to help them complete their migrations in either of two ways:
- Backfilling their service desks with Genesis10 specialists to free up their own people to plan and perform the transition from Windows XP to Windows 7 or Windows 8. Most have found that their teams need to focus on the extensive planning, testing, and other processes. Genesis10 seamlessly steps in to provide day-to-day support to the user base.
Or
- Have Genesis10 Managed Services perform the planning, testing, and deployment. This strategy brings the added advantage of leveraging a team of specialists who have performed many such migrations. The company’s IT team only does one transition, and it’s their first on the new platform. Genesis10 specialists have generally performed dozens if not hundreds of such transitions and bring extensive experience and exposure to the many challenges they know they will face in such a project.
If you haven’t already, it’s past time to begin talking with us about how to get your users off Windows XP and onto contemporary technology. The old adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” just doesn’t apply anymore.
To get started, contact Genesis10 IT Managed Services at itmanagedservices@genesis10.com.