You still have Windows XP running on some (or all) of your computers. You know you should upgrade but you're not sure what it entails and what you should do. Here are some things to think about and some steps you can consider.
Your XP computers are old
If your computers are running Windows XP then they are definitely old. XP was originally released for public use on October 25 2001. That is almost thirteen years ago. Of course you may not have bought your computer then but sometime in the years after when XP was a very popular workstation operating system. No matter, the bet is that your XP computers are at least five years old and probably older still. They will be slower, have much smaller hard drives and much less ram that current machines.
Your software will be old
Chances are that if you are running XP on a workstation the version of the Windows Office Suite you are running will be old as well. The most common suite used with XP is Office 2003 which also has seen support ended by Microsoft. The current Office suite is Office 2013 or if you move to cloud application use it is Office 365. As with XP Microsoft is no longer providing patches, security corrections or updates for Office 2003. Your software will continue to run but without any corrections or improvements.
Upgrading now you are not alone
According to data from Net Applications reported in Wikipedia, May 2014, there are still as many as 25 percent of the worldwide PCs still running XP. This percentage will continue to decrease over time as users upgrade to new hardware and as XP machines break down. Of course, for any users who are concerned about security their migration should be accelerated to occur as quickly as possible.
What do I do to upgrade?
The easiest way to upgrade your Windows XP is to do so at the same time as you retire your old computer(s). A new computer will have a new operating system bundled as part of the purchase. Windows 8.1 will be the most common for most users, although for business use some companies are back licensing to Windows 7. This involves either having your in house IT professionals, your support contractor or your hardware supplier load the Windows 7 software as computer manufacturers are not bundling Windows 7 any longer.
By transferring any data and any software (be sure the versions you have are supported by the new OS) to the new computer your have completed your upgrade. Of course your support people will carry out this work for you if you ask or if it is part of your contract. Upgrading your office suite at the same time will be in order, either by buying the new suite or entering into an Office 365 agreement.
XP Migration Doesn't Have To Be A Headache
In a previous post we outlined four key things for SMBs to consider when doing a migration from XP. These pieces give further thoughts beyond what is covered above. Check it out for more concrete suggestions as you plan your move.
No matter what you think right now, at some point you are going to move from the Windows XP operating system to a newer updated OS. You might be inclined to try to hold on as long as you can understanding that this has risks. Inevitably you are going to run into an application upgrade that will not be available to run on XP or you are going to have a hardware failure which makes it not cost effective to repair current hardware. You are going to find that your systems get slower and slower when there are no patches or corrections available. Reliability of your computing environment will suffer. In the end you are delaying a necessity.
The alternative course is to pick the time to act. Do it when your business cycle is a little slower. Do it with a plan. Hire the resources you need and ask what pieces of your overall systems need to be upgraded as most likely there will be other components to consider, not just the XP workstations migration. Plan the financing so that you can accomplish the changes without a big negative impact.
In other words take action before a critical failure forces you. This way you can stay in control rather than have your migration control your business.
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