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Windows 7 support coming to an end

By Ugo Onwuaso
13 July 2018   |   4:25 am
Microsoft will be ending its extended support for Windows 7 by January 2020. In less than two years, Microsoft will sever ties with the popular operating system, leaving organizations that are reliant on Windows 7 vulnerable to security threats.

AFP PHOTO

Microsoft will be ending its extended support for Windows 7 by January 2020. In less than two years, Microsoft will sever ties with the popular operating system, leaving organizations that are reliant on Windows 7 vulnerable to security threats.

It is an onslaught few organizations can afford. A Kaspersky Lab report released in 2017 found that the average cost of a security breach was around $861 000. No business can pay that price without seriously impacting on growth, profitability and their reputation.

For those enterprises that have been sweating their assets, carrying the popular Windows 7 from system to system thanks to its ubiquity and quality, the time has come to draw a line and move upwards towards Windows 10.

The latter is a rich and well-developed operating system that has sidestepped many of the challenges and issues presented by Windows 8 and delivers a seamless and secure user experience.

Designed to follow an easy upgrade path and incorporating a plethora of enterprise security features, Windows 10 also supports the latest chipsets and receives regular updates to ensure it remains ahead of cyber threats.

For many businesses, the reality is that all office PCs still on Windows 7 will eventually need to be upgraded in the next two years, in anticipation for the complete roll out of the Windows 10 operating system, which works better on newer machines.

According to Microsoft, new computers provide, on average, up to 28% faster startups, built-in security and more apps.To upgrade their technology, businesses are now faced with a massive capex cost that cannot be avoided, and there is also the need to ensure they remain aligned with legislative requirements, such as POPIA and GDPR, and that they protect themselves from the reputational and financial impact of a breach.

The question is, how can the business invest in an entire operating system shift without carrying too heavy a financial burden? The answer lies in leasing.The technology leasing model has evolved significantly since it first emerged in the late 1990s and now offers organisations a much richer menu of solutions than in the past.

Instead of an upfront payment, leasing operates on a pay-as-you-go model, which takes a significant amount of pressure off the company, its finances and its IT department.Leasing equips the enterprise with the ability to access the technology it needs without the capital outlay.

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