Windows XP is set to expire on April 8, 2014. Because Windows no longer provides security patches for XP, hackers and cyber criminals are finding there is little resistance to prevent them from tampering with and infecting the aging operating system. Unlike newer, supported versions of Windows, XP is basically a forgotten relic from days gone by. That is why we at EnvisionIT Solutions are urging our current customers to the latest version of Windows as soon as possible. We are concerned with Windows XP security.
Recently, the extremely dangerous ransomware Crypto Locker has been making it's way around the Internet. Many antivirus company have already begun to stop support themselves for Windows XP. This means that ransomware becomes even more dangerous than it is for users with more modern versions of Windows.
In 2002 Microsoft introduced its Support Lifecycle policy based on customer feedback to have more transparency and predictability of support for Microsoft products. As per this policy, Microsoft Business and Developer products, including Windows and Office products, receive a minimum of 10 years of support (5 years Mainstream Support and 5 years Extended Support), at the supported service pack level.
Thus, Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 will go out of support on April 8, 2014. If your organization has not started the migration to a modern desktop, you are late. Based on historical customer deployment data, the average enterprise deployment can take 18 to 32 months from business case through full deployment. To ensure you remain on supported versions of Windows and Office, you should begin your planning and application testing immediately to ensure you deploy before end of support.
