Windows 7 and Server 2008

Well, we can’t say we didn’t know it was coming.  Windows 7 will reach the absolute end of its support life on January 14, 2020.  And with it goes Windows Server 2008 R2.  There will be no new features and no fixes to this software once these products reach the end of life support. It is urgent you act sooner than later.

Do your employees have desktops and/or laptops with the operating system Windows 7 installed?   If they do, you will be required to upgrade all of them before January 14, 2020.  

Do you have a server that is running on Windows Server 2008 R2?   If you do, you will be required to upgrade the operating system before January 14, 2020. 

Should you choose not to upgrade your operating systems, your network will be vulnerable to more security issues than you can ever imagine.  So what does that really mean to you?  Let’s break it down by product, since most of us are more affected by one or the other.

Windows 7

• First of all, if you still use Windows 7, you will no longer be able to get technical support from Microsoft customer service for it.  You might be so comfortable with the platform that that doesn’t seem like such a big deal, and you’ve got CrafTech for customer support, right? 
• But wait:  you won’t get any security updates for it, either.  And that is serious, my friend.  There is so much more out there that can hurt your computer than there was when Windows 7 was introduced, and it’s just going to get worse.  While Windows will still start and run, you will be wide open for any security risks and viruses that might attach.  Face it, you can’t get along without that security. 
• If you are still using Internet Explorer as your browser, you won’t be able to run it after January 14, either.  You will be forced to migrate to a different browser:  Edge, Chrome, Bing, Yahoo, whatever.
• There’s more:  You also have to think about the effect of the change on Line-of-Business Applications that you are now running as Windows 7 versions.  If you currently use tax preparation or accounting programs, insurance or medical records management, or resource planning applications, anything that is business-specific, those will not only have to be updated, you’ll have to put it in this year’s budget—along with the upgrade.

The question is, do you want to put it off, think about it later, and then have to cope with all this all at once when you are forced to upgrade the platform?  Or do you want to be proactive, and give CrafTech a call to help you make the decisions that you need to now?  The end of the first quarter of the year is an ideal time to plan your move!

Windows Server 2008 R2

Just like Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R8 will have no new features, no fixes, no customer support as of January 14.  All three Windows Server 2008 R2 editions (Datacenter, Enterprise, and Standard, as well as Hyper V) will be subject to the change.   And, while you’re waffling about when to make the change, you’ll be missing out on features being introduced to Microsoft’s new server operating systems.  You may not realize it, but there are several options in Windows servers to choose from:

• 2012
• 2012 R2
• 2016
• 2019

Talk to CrafTech about it.  We can help you make the best choice for you and your employees at the right price.  Really, what do you have to lose except a nagging worry? 

Written by: Susan Palmer