Microsoft “End of Life” Deadlines – How Will These Affect Your Business?
According to Microsoft, all good things must come to an end. This is in reference to a few of its products approaching their “End of Life” deadlines. This month we will discuss two important deadlines and how they will affect three different products our customers use every day.
END OF LIFE
“End of life” is a technological phrase that refers to when a product and/or service is phased out. It’s a deadline given to consumers when product support and service will no longer be offered. Once a product/service has reached an “End of Life” deadline, the use of those items become obsolete. Kustura Technologies recommends all of our customer’s update and upgrade systems before these deadlines arrive. This gives your company time to make any necessary adjustments to equipment, training, or project planning.
JANUARY 14, 2020
The first deadline we are going to discuss is January 14, 2020. This deadline applies to the Windows 7 Operating System and Windows Server 2008.
WINDOWS 7
Many businesses still use Windows 7 because they saw no reason to update to Windows 10. This feeling was related to the “if it’s not broke why fix it” mentality. Unfortunately, after this deadline passes the only option is to upgrade. Windows 10 Pro is a great product for businesses. It has many updated features that will make day to day business activities more seamless for your team. You can find out more about Windows 10 by clicking here. Kustura Technologies understands this is going to be a big change for some of our customers, but don’t worry because we are here every step of the way.
WINDOWS SERVER 2008
The location of where your company’s data is stored will be changing. Kustura Technologies cannot stress enough how important it is to upgrade to the Windows 2016 Server. It is important not to wait until the last minute because once this deadline arrives your Windows 2008 Server will no longer have access to support or security updates. According to Liquidtechnology.net, “This will leave the operating system open and exposed to outside infiltration because future security gaps will no longer be plugged by software updates.” In other words, you will be putting your company’s data at risk if you do not take the necessary steps to begin upgrading to the new server. This project will require a large amount of time. Our Kustura Team is ready to get started on this process for you now to ensure a seamless transformation process of your server. We recommend upgrading at least one year before the deadline. For any specific questions regarding this “End of Life” deadline please click here.
OCTOBER 13, 2020
The second deadline we are going to discuss is October 13, 2020. This deadline applies to the Microsoft Office 2010 software.
MICROSOFT OFFICE 2010
Those companies who were still using Windows 7 are likely also using Office 2010. We are sorry to let you know this product is also reaching its “End of Life” deadline soon. Your company will no longer have access to Office 2010 updates, troubleshooting, or support.
This is the perfect time for Kustura Technologies to help you decide which newer version of Microsoft Office is best for you.
- Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus
- Microsoft Office 2016
Kustura Technologies recommends our customers update to option 1, Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus. One of the many reasons for this recommendation is because it provides a user-based licensing model. This allows Kustura to install Office on up to 5 different PCs or Macs at one time. Financially, this is the best option for our customers. This version receives add-on features over time and allows you to upgrade to the newest version once it’s released.
Microsoft Office 2016 is the second option. Microsoft 2016 does not come with any additional add-on features. The software will remain the same through its lifespan and will be ineligible for any newly released features. This choice would be ideal for smaller companies who only plan to install Microsoft Office on one or two PCs.
OVERALL SUMMARY
“End of Life” deadlines for Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, and Microsoft Office 2010 are quickly approaching. Kustura Technologies is here to help our customers with the necessary upgrades and updates to ensure seamless transitions.
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