Is Your Microsoft Software Going To Die?

By Innovative Concepts, Inc.NEWS

Windows XP, Office 2003, SQL Server 2000 and Windows Server 2003 will reach end of support soon: Plan your upgrade immediately.
There are quite a few Microsoft products recently put on the “end-of-life” list that are still in wide use today.  Say what you must about the company.  However, the fact that the operating system you purchased in 2001 is still going strong, says a lot!

After 12+ years of use, Microsoft has determined that people need to move up to more current technologies.  Innovative Concepts agrees.  Recent advances in the newer versions allow a system to run safer, faster, and cleaner.

Here is a copy of a letter sent to Innovative Concepts (and many others) from Microsoft:
Manage your IT assets: Windows XP, Office 2003, SQL Server 2000 and Windows Server 2003 will reach end of support soon.
Plan your upgrade immediately

Learn about options to plan an upgrade or extend support.
 
Dear Innovative Concepts Staff,

You’re receiving this message because you are designated as a responsible contact on agreement number . We want to ensure you are up to date and able to take action to mitigate your risks as legacy technology that you may have installed reaches end of support. As support is ending, we would like to help you plan your upgrade so you can avoid the toughest challenges and reduce your risks. Here’s why this is the time to upgrade:

Reduce risks and costs. These products are currently in the Extended Support phase, already out of Mainstream Support and quickly approaching end of support.

• After support ends, no security patches or hotfixes will be available from Microsoft, and many third-party software vendors will also end their support.
• When support ends, machines running these products will be more vulnerable to security threats—putting your critical business data at risk.
• IT management costs may rise significantly.
• Compatibility with new hardware will not be assured.

Use resources available to you to plan your upgrade.

• Evaluate supported versions of the products by reviewing links in the sections below.
• Leverage free deployment kit resources including the on call deployment concierge at deployment@microsoft.com or 877-713-4524.
• Work with your account team or partner to build a plan.

Windows Server 2012: Windows Server 2003 will reach end of support on July 14, 2015. Upgrade to Windows Server 2012 which offers businesses a scalable, dynamic, and cloud-optimized infrastructure. It helps organizations connect securely across premises and respond to business needs faster and more efficiently. Evaluate Windows Server 2012.

Windows 8, Office 2013 and Office 365: Windows XP and Office 2003 will reach end of support on April 8, 2014. This option has upside well beyond keeping you supported. It offers more flexibility to empower employees to be more productive, while increasing operational efficiency through improved PC security and management. It also enables your organization to take advantage of latest technology trends such as virtualization and the cloud. Evaluate Windows 8 and Office 2013 or Office 365.

SQL Server 2012: SQL Server 2000 reached end of support on April 9, 2013. Move to a supported version immediately. You have choices to upgrade on premise with SQL Server 2012 or to move your database workloads to SQL Azure in the cloud. Evaluate SQL Server 2012.

Find an IT Expert

Sincerely,

Microsoft
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052

Resources

1. Leverage the deployment concierge.
2. Review the End of Support information for Windows XP and Office 2003.
3. Hear from Microsoft executives the vision and strategy for Microsoft desktop, productivity and datacenter solutions. View the on-demand 2013 Virtual CIO Summit.
4. Contact your account team or partner to build a plan.
Your Agreement Information

Agreement number:

Planning Service Days:
You have available

This message from Microsoft is an important part of a program, service, or product that you or your company purchased or participate in.

Microsoft respects your privacy. Please read our Privacy Statement.

Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052 USA

The likelihood everyone reading this is using something on this list is very high.  Does this mean that on the end-of-life date that the software will be become a pumpkin.  No, it is actually more dangerous than that.  Yes, the software will continue to operate the same as it always had.  However, that is the problem.  Since it will no longer be updated, any methods used to take advantage of the software will not be addressed.

As always, Innovative Concepts is available to help.  Give them a call with any technical business need.  By the way, if you received a copy of this email too, clicking the “Find An IT Expert” will lead you to a search engine that lists Innovative Concepts for both Support and Development.

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