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All the effort made in preparation for 2018’s GDPR will have been in vain if out of date software fails.
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[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Another new year, another new business deadline to worry about. In 2020, some of the most commonly used software will come to the end of life, signalling big problems for organisations who fail to upgrade in time.
Windows 7, Office 2010, Exchange 2010, Small Business Server 2011 and Windows Server 2008 have all served businesses well in their time, but as soon as they go out of date Microsoft is withdrawing all support.
So, not only will those who haven’t upgraded yet be out of luck when things inevitably go wrong, they’re also leaving themselves wide open to attack from hackers. Cyber criminals love organisations who use out of date software because it gives them lots of opportunities to sneak in and steal data. Which also means all that time and money spent crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s in preparation for the new data protection laws will have been wasted.
If you don’t know whether your business is one of the thousands to be affected by the 2020 Problem, it’s easy to find out. For example, just a few simple steps will tell you which version of Windows you’re using
Step 1 – Click on the Start Button
Step 2 – Enter “computer” in the search box
Step 3 – Right-click on properties. The version of Windows will be displayed on screen.
Why not wait?
It’s understandable to think there’s plenty of time to get this sorted – 2020 is a while away, and it always seems like there’s pressure to buy the next shiny piece of kit. But a year is a short time in business, and this is particularly true when it comes to IT.
Upgrades take time and good planning, and most good Managed Service Providers will only take on a few at a time. If you leave it too late you’re putting your business at risk of costly downtime and disruption. You’re also taking your chances with who’s going to be left to manage the transition for you – if there are only a few IT guys left to choose from, can you really be confident that they’ll do a good job?
All modern businesses rely on software that works properly. Downtime leads to low morale, unhappy customers and loss of income. According to a survey conducted by Beaming and Opinium, downtime accounted for 145 million lost working hours and £12.5 in costs during 2016 alone.
Upgrading is good for business
Although it may seem like this is just another painful exercise to add to your to-do list, upgrading makes good business sense. Software has come on leaps and bounds since the last round, and you’ll be amazed by how much more efficient and productive your business will be with Microsoft’s new technology.
You can find out more about why upgrading is good for business, along with more detailed information about the 2020 problem in our brand new guide. You can download it below now.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”6614″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_empty_space][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
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