As we fast-forward to the start of the New Year, I reflect on where technology has taken us over the past 20 years. There is hardly a corner of the business that technology has not touched; From the family-run corner store to the largest companies, the influence of technology is inescapable. It was during the 1990s that Microsoft helped propel the world in this headlong race 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, will face end of support in a matter of weeks. The decade-long run was unprecedented for XP and despite its popularity and high adoption rate, XP has run its course and is no longer able to withstand the demanding load of today’s technology.
While XP may be the most widely adopted operating system, it is far from the trailblazer you might expect. 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 called “Interface Manager.” This first operating system was announced to the public in 1983 as Windows and was finally released as Windows 1.0 in 1985. This first version of Windows was created to compete with Apple’s Macintosh operating system, but it was actually an extension of the clunky old MS. – DOS operating system used by rudimentary PCs. Progress dictated advances in 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 on the familiar look of the versions we are familiar with today. Creating ever-better iterations of the Windows operating system, Microsoft replaced 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 prompted the release of Windows 98 in the summer of 1998 with updates to easily navigate between programs and access information via PC.
Microsoft’s first big problem, Windows ME, made its debut in the early summer of 2000 and was specifically aimed at home users. It was a very short-lived operating system and was often criticized for being slow and unstable. During this same time, Microsoft released Windows 2000 Professional which was designed to replace Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT Workstation 4.0. The abject failure of Windows ME allowed Windows 2000 to salvage some respectability while fending off the challenges of the old nemesis Apple. Microsoft knew they couldn’t afford another big change and fail like Windows ME nor could they sit still and let the brand languish. So just weeks after the world was forever changed by the horrors of September 11, Microsoft took a bold step and released Windows XP.
It was during this pivotal release that Microsoft made a clear distinction between the commercial and consumer versions of the operating system. Windows XP Home met the needs and desires of the home user and the average consumer, while Windows XP Professional was designed for the heavy use and increased demands of the business world. The love affair with Windows XP endured and flourished, especially in the commercial space, and even as Microsoft tried to persuade users to upgrade to newer versions like Windows Vista (a ME-like bombshell) and Windows 7, which it was much closer in stability and usability to the XP that users and administrators had come to know and love.
With all the success and mutual admiration for Windows XP and its Windows 2003 server operating system counterpart, the question remains; Why do you leave? One big reason is the cost. Microsoft spends an inordinate amount of money to keep all of its software versions up-to-date, patched, and free of vulnerabilities. With newer operating systems like Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, having teams run by a 12-year-old operating system that is slowly declining in market share begins to corrode the bottom line. In addition, newer hardware and memory systems are being added to PCs, and servers are demanding stronger performance and speed. The limitations in the Windows XP code are too great to overcome to be viable on some of these platforms. Lastly, with the tablet revolution in full swing, Windows XP can’t even begin to modify itself to create the rich experience we’ve come to expect on mobile devices.
Now that we understand the history of the operating system and why XP will no longer be supported after April 8, 2014, what exactly will happen after this date? Since Windows XP has been designated end of support, this means several things.
- First, as I mentioned earlier, Microsoft will no longer provide updates, patches, etc. to the software, so this means that the constant stream of fixes usually released on Tuesdays will cease to exist. While many sysadmins didn’t like the “Patch Tuesday” idea very much, without these updates and fixes, end-user machines become vulnerable entry points on an otherwise secure network.
- Software and hardware manufacturers continue to optimize their offerings to work on the latest Microsoft operating systems, which is simply smart business.
- If you have to maintain proof of compliance and adhere to specific guidelines for your industry or government agency, continuing to use an outdated and potentially insecure operating system will put your business in jeopardy.
For more information on 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 the licensing structure of your current operating system if you are unsure. Tools like Windows Intune or Spiceworks allow administrators to run detailed reports that include the operating system on each PC, as well as other valuable network information that you MUST know. These types of network auditing applications are relevant and useful in all kinds of situations.
So what do you do if you discover PCs in your organization running Windows XP? Well, there is no need to panic, but immediate action must be taken. You have some pretty obvious options: upgrade, replace, or virtualize. Upgrading is a possibility even if you are running older XP PCs; you simply need to determine if the drive has enough power to run a newer operating system such as Windows 7 or 8.1. If your machines meet the system requirements for a newer operating system, simply purchase Windows 7 or 8.1 from a Microsoft certified partner. If you find that the machine or machines are not up to the task to update the operating system, you will need to buy a new machine with Windows 7 or 8.1. Replacing a machine can be a great opportunity to start incorporating touch into your environment, and there are a host of devices that are touch-enabled and run Windows 8.1. Right now I’m enjoying my new Dell XPS 12 ultrabook, which has a flip-down screen feature that allows me to have the functionality of a traditional laptop combined with the convenience of a tablet. The two options that most organizations will decide on will be to upgrade the operating system or replace the machine.
However, as I mentioned earlier, there is a third option that can have a far-reaching impact on your network setup in the future. Virtualization, once the playground of the largest companies due to high entry costs, has now become affordable for the SMB community. In fact, you could argue that for most SMB entities, if they are NOT currently virtualizing server loads, they are wasting time, money, and resources at an alarming rate. And I’m not talking about virtualizing the servers, although that is the best first step to migrating from Windows XP. Desktop virtualization is gaining momentum for SMB organizations that want a consistent desktop experience for every employee with enhanced security and complete control over what each user can do or see. Virtual Desktop Integration (VDI) so that even tired old machines are reused as “dumb” terminals connecting to the main network through a secure connection. Through this connection, the remote user is presented with a “desktop” experience as they would see it on the site. Because you control where data is stored and which applications can be accessed, you have a great chance of being able to easily defend against remote attacks and insider wrongdoing.
If you want to make sure you’re ready for the end of support for your old friend Windows XP, the time to get ready is NOW. Instead of lamenting at the funeral, use the time wisely to make sure your organization is ready for a happy farewell.