As we move swiftly through the beginning of the New Year, I reflect back on where technology has taken us during the past 20 years. There is hardly a corner of business that technology hasn't touched; from the mom and pop store on the corner to the largest enterprises, the influence of technology is inescapable. It was during the 1990s when Microsoft helped propel the world into this headlong rush to bigger, better and faster with the Windows operating system running on a personal computer. Now, the most widely used version of Windows, Windows XP, is facing the end of support in a matter of weeks. The decade-long run was unprecedented for XP, and despite its popularity and huge rate of adoption, XP has run its course and is no longer capable of carrying the demanding load of today's blazing technology.
While XP may be the most widely adopted OS, it's far from the groundbreaker you might expect it to be. Surprisingly, few know that Windows dates back to the early 1980s when computer scientist Chase Bishop created the design for the first operating system code named "Interface Manager." This early operating system was announced to the public in 1983 as Windows and was then finally released as Windows 1.0 in 1985. This early version of Windows was created to compete with Apple's Macintosh OS, but it was really an extension of the old clunky MS-DOS operating system that rudimentary PCs utilized. Progress dictated advancements in the software, and from Windows 1.0 came 2.0, 3.0 and the then-popular Windows 3.1.
The release of Windows 3.1 marked an important milestone; it was the most widely used operating system to date and its interface began to take shape into the familiar look of versions we are familiar with today. Creating better and better iterations of the Windows operating system, Microsoft superseded 3.1 with Windows 95 and the iconic Start button. Most importantly, it was with Windows 95 that the first version of Internet Explorer was released in the summer of 1995. Consumer demand drove the release of Windows 98 in the summer of 1998 showcasing upgrades for easily navigating between programs and accessing information across the PC.
Microsoft's first major hiccup, Windows ME, made its debut during the early summer of 2000 and was aimed specifically at home users. It was a very short lived OS and was often criticized for being sluggish and unstable. During this same time, Microsoft released Windows 2000 Professional which was designed to replace Windows 95, Windows 98, and the Windows NT Workstation 4.0. The abject failure of Windows ME allowed Windows 2000 to salvage some measure of respectability while fending off challenges from long-time nemesis Apple. Microsoft knew they couldn't afford another big swing and miss like Windows ME nor could they stand still and let the brand languish. So just weeks after the world changed forever with the horrors of 9/11, Microsoft took the bold step and released Windows XP.
It was during this pivotal release that Microsoft made a clear distinction between consumer and business versions of the OS. Windows XP Home catered to the needs and wants of the home user and average consumer while Windows XP Professional was tailored for the heavy usage and increased demands placed on it by the business world. The love affair with Windows XP endured and thrived, especially in the commercial space, and even when Microsoft tried to coax users into upgrading to newer versions such as Windows Vista (an ME-like bomb) and Windows 7 which was much closer in stability and usability to the XP that users and administrators had grown to know and adore.
With all the success and mutual admiration for Windows XP and its server OS counterpart Windows 2003, the question remains; why is it going away? One huge reason is cost. Microsoft spends an inordinate amount of money on keeping all of their software versions up-to-date, patched and free from vulnerabilities. With newer operating systems like Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, having teams nurse along a 12 year old OS that is slowly declining in market share starts to eat away at the bottom line. Also, newer hardware and memory systems are being incorporated into PCs, and servers demand more robust performance and speed. The limitations in the Windows XP code are just are too great to overcome to make it viable on some of these platforms. Lastly with the tablet revolution in full swing, Windows XP can't even begin to be modified to create the rich experience we have come to expect on mobile devices.
Now that we understand the history of the OS and why XP is no longer going to be supported after April 8th 2014, what exactly will happen after this date? With Windows XP having been designated end of support, this means several things.
- First, as I mentioned above, Microsoft will no longer provide updates, patches, etc. to the software, so this means the steady stream of fixes usually released on Tuesdays will cease to exist. While many system administrators strongly disliked the "Patch Tuesday" idea, without these updates and fixes end-user machines become vulnerable entry points in an otherwise secure network.
- Software and hardware manufacturers continue to optimize their offerings to work on the latest Microsoft operating systems which is just smart business.
- If you have to maintain proof of compliance and adhere to specific guidelines for your industry or governmental agency, continuing to employ an obsolete and potentially unsecure operating system will put your business in jeopardy.
For more information about the end of support for Windows XP, visit http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/enterprise/endofsupport.aspx. The end of support for XP creates a good opportunity to review your current OS licensing structure if you are currently unsure. Tools such as Windows Intune or Spiceworks allow administrators to run detailed reports that include the OS on every PC, as well as other valuable network information that you SHOULD know. These types of network audit applications are relevant and helpful in all kinds of situations.
So what do you do if you uncover PCs in your organization running Windows XP? Well, there is no need to panic, but immediate action should be taken. You have some pretty obvious choices: upgrade, replace or virtualize. Upgrading is a possibility even if you are running older PCs with XP; you simply need to determine if the unit has enough horsepower to run a newer OS like Windows 7 or 8.1. If your machines meet the system requirements for a newer OS, simply purchase Windows 7 or 8.1 from a Microsoft Certified Partner. If you find that the machine or machines are not up to snuff to upgrade the OS, then you will need to purchase a new machine with Windows 7 or 8.1. The replacement of a machine may be a great opportunity to start incorporating touch into your environment, and there are a plethora of devices that are touch-enabled and running Windows 8.1. Right now I'm enjoying my new Dell XPS 12 ultra-book which has flip screen functionality allowing me to have the workability of a traditional laptop paired with the convenience of a tablet. The two options that most organizations will settle on will either be to upgrade the OS or to replace the machine.
However, as I mentioned above, there is a third option which can have far reaching impacts on your network configuration in the future. Virtualization, once the playground of only the largest enterprises due to the high costs of entry, has now slid into affordability for the SMB community. In fact I might argue, for the majority of SMB entities, if they are NOT currently virtualizing server loads they are wasting time, money, and resources at an alarming rate. And I don't mean virtualizing the servers, though that is the best first step in migrating from Windows XP. Desktop virtualization is picking up momentum for SMB organizations that want to have a uniform desktop experience for every employee with the enhanced security and complete control over what each user can do or see. Virtual Desktop Integration (VDI) allows for even old, tired machines to be repurposed as "dumb" terminals that connect to the main network via a secure connection. Over this connection, the remote user is presented with a "desktop" experience as they would see on site. Because you control where data is stored and what applications can be accessed, you stand a really good chance of being able to easily fend off remote attacks and internal misdeeds.
If you want to make sure you're ready for the end of support for your old friend Windows XP, the time to prepare is NOW. Rather than grieving at the funeral, use the time wisely to ensure your organization is ready for a happy farewell.
SecurElement recommends, implements, and supports technology for small and mid-sized businesses to help them achieve their goals both professionally and personally. By combining hardware, software, maintenance, and technical support into a fixed per user per month price, SecurElement provides customers with a one stop shop for all IT needs through, what we call, the Managed Environment. Customers have found it extremely beneficial to have a technology environment that scales with them as their businesses grow, and by only paying for what they use, able to budget their actual IT spend accurately and over the long term
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