The end is coming for Windows 7 and Microsoft is doing (almost) everything it can to ease your pain to upgrade. Routine fixes and security patches will stop January 2020. While you have a little bit of time left, it isn’t going to go by slowly.
Watch our TNTV Alerts video to hear ThrottleNet experts Chris and Todd discuss Windows 7 end of life and what to expect over the next 9-10 months as the deadline approaches.
Extended Professional & Enterprise Support
As in the past, Microsoft seems to understand that its business users often need a little more time to complete their OS migrations. As such, they are offering users of Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Enterprise the opportunity to subscribe to Extended Security Updates (ESU) in order to receive security fixes…for a fee. These updates will take care of uncovered or reported vulnerabilities in the Windows 7 OS.
A key fact to note, however, is that only patches rated “Critical” or “Important” will be issued by Microsoft. “Critical’ and ‘Important’ are the two top rankings of Microsoft’s four-tier system of scoring vulnerabilities. This means that any performance-related issues will no longer be addressed.
Additionally, ESU will only be available in one-year increments and only for three years (through 2023). It will also be sold as a ‘per-device’ license and not ‘per-user’ as Microsoft offered with Windows 10.
The new licensing scale begins with a range of $25 to $50 per device per year. This cost though will double each year following, so for example in 2022, Windows 7 OS will cost you US $100 to US $200 per device. Customers running Microsoft 365 Enterprise, though, will still be kept at the lower-tier pricing.
A Short History of Windows 7
Windows 7 replaced the very unpopular Windows Vista in 2009, finally giving longtime users of 2001’s Windows XP a solid platform to jump to. It was warmly accepted as the best option in replacing both Vista and XP all at once.
Just three years later in 2012 Microsoft released Windows 8, moving in a whole new direction with touchscreen options in their bold new ‘Modern User Interface’. Long story short, Windows 8 was not as warmly received (who remembers Startbuttongate?). The pushback forced Microsoft to update so significantly that they skipped over version 9 and released Windows 10. In effect, just like Windows 7 was to Vista and XP, Windows 10 was a “best of both worlds” blend of Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1. Windows 10 is the new base code that will be updated indefinitely. It is the new standard that Microsoft is pushing its users to accept.
Globally, Windows 7 still runs on 37.9 percent of all PCs today according to Net Marketshare data. Windows 10 now runs on 40.9 percent of all PCs. For business PCs specifically, Windows 10 still runs on a full 50 percent of the market. That means there a lot of businesses out there that are falling behind. The clock is running out for those waiting for another option. The time to move to Windows 10 is now.
In with the New OS –
If you are not yet a ThrottleNet client and you would like more information about how we can assist you with your Windows 7 end of life migration, please contact us.
If you are a ThrottleNet client, you know that you can rest assured that your vCIO is already ahead of the curve and working to ensure your smooth and timely transition from Windows 7 to Windows 10.
