As we have previously communicated, Microsoft has publicly announced January 14, 2020 as the end date for extended support (also known as End of Life (EoL), for the Windows 7 operating system. As of this date, Microsoft will no longer produce any patches or updates to address known or otherwise newly discovered issues for the Windows 7 platform.
So what, if anything, does this mean for my business?
This potentially exposes users of devices with the Windows 7 operating system to vulnerabilities that could be exploited by threat actors—exploits, bugs, viruses, and ransomware. So, if you’re one of the 40% of organisations still using Windows 7 as your main OS, we’d like to help you successfully migrate off of Windows 7.
Prepare and plan
As part of the planning service, it is valuable to conduct an audit of your technology assets to determine if there are Windows 7 devices and other soon-to-be-unsupported hardware or software components in use.
To migrate successfully, devices need to have a minimum hardware specification to run Windows 10 at a productive level. PAV can provide a detailed report showing you which devices are running Windows 7, Office 2010, how old they are and if replacing or upgrading is the right strategy.
Successfully migrate
Once we determine the right path, we can automate the migration process using our cloud-based remote monitoring and management solution to perform the upgrade process. This takes place with little to no impact on your day-to-day operations.
Should your organisation need to follow a replacement path; typically the Windows 7 replacement will consist of a Microsoft Windows 10 primary device, Office 365 ProPlus and other upgraded lines of business applications all deployed by PAV’s service delivery team.
How your business benefits…
Our top priority with the migration process is to minimise security vulnerabilities and help you avoid major downtime. We appreciate that this introduces change in your organisation and requires an investment of both time and money. We can help you with educating your employees to help minimise any disruption and make recommendations so you can make the best decision (whether to upgrade or replace) for your business, and clearly outlining the costs and implications of both scenarios.
There is a silver lining with this migration: Microsoft plans to make Windows 10 the ‘last’ Windows. You won’t ever need to upgrade to a new operating system again. Incremental updates will happen behind the scenes without major upheaval and with no costly and difficult upgrades.
How can we help?
PAV has over 3 decades of experience helping customers in this type of work.
PAV’s Application Packaging service enables effective packaging of both desktop and server applications for typical Microsoft Windows based systems.
Our Application Practice team help customers on every step of their journey. Whether they require ad-hoc work packages or full project work, management and documentation.
Speak to one of our friendly team today to find out more about how we can help you smoothly navigate this last Windows migration.
