Windows 7 Support is Coming to an End

Here’s something that may surprise you, Windows 7 is still one of the more popular operating systems. This is troubling since Microsoft is shutting off support for the OS on January 14, 2020. 

The software giant has begun to roll out warning signs in their Patch Tuesday patches, but it hasn’t been enough for people (and businesses) to upgrade away from Windows 7. Let’s take a look at more about this shift.

January 14, 2020

We are now just a month away from Windows 7 End of Life event. Computers running the software after January 14th, will not be receiving technical assistance from Microsoft; and therefore will be in danger from a new wave of oncoming vulnerabilities. 

Why Shouldn’t You Run Unsupported Software?

The way it is written, software isn’t always secure. Developers need to make consistent changes to ensure that hackers don’t have access to vulnerabilities. Since a data breach can effectively wipe out your company, you need to ensure that all of your systems are up-to-date and patched thoroughly. 

Not only that, a data breach can flatten any forward momentum a business has. That’s not even taking into account that the fact that today, with ransomware being a consideration, making sure all of the software you depend on is supported keeps your business secure.  Besides the security issues, there are other considerations to contend with, like a loss in functionality. 

What are Your Options?

Upgrade to Windows 10 

To be honest, your options are shrinking by the day. You only have about a month before Microsoft pulls the plug on the software for good, and you need to upgrade away to keep threats from piling up. Windows 10 only requires at least a one GHz processor, 2 GB of RAM, and 20 GB available on a hard drive, which may allow your business from facing huge upfront costs if its technology already meets those standards. 

Extended Support

With only a month left it may not give some organizations enough time to make the change. For businesses that qualify, Microsoft is offering a costly extended support package that will be available for all Windows 7 Pro and Windows 7 Enterprise customers with volume licensing through January 2023. For qualifying businesses, costs for Enterprise will be $25 per device from 2020-2021, $50 per device from 2021-2022, and $100 per device from 2022-2023. The cost of support for Pro versions will be double that. 

Under these platforms, you will need to upgrade away by 2023.

Microsoft 365

Another option for the business that needs to move away from Windows 7 quickly is to utilize the Microsoft 365 platform. Microsoft 365 is available in enterprise, business, and education budgets, and includes Windows 10, Microsoft Office 365, and much more. Paid by the user, per month, major hardware upgrades can be tabled or done incrementally, allowing a business to pay as they go until they get to where they want to be. 

Call us at 586 258-0650 if you are looking for help moving off of Windows 7.