January 14, 2020. Mark the date on your calendar. In 49 days, Windows 7 will reach ‘End of Life’ and Microsoft will stop offering extended support and updates for Windows 7.

Windows 7 still has a huge presence in small businesses. But Microsoft has been very open about their unrelenting transition to Windows 10 – which was released in July 2015. That’s over 3 years ago!

Now is the time to start the move.

Bralin Technology Solutions is here to help you plan your move to Windows 10. Please call us to start the discussion. You can also review some information from Microsoft here > https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsforbusiness/end-of-windows-7-support

WHY CARE?

If you are still using Windows 7 after January 14, 2020 there are risks to be aware of. Without regular security updates being issued by Microsoft, hackers will be looking to attack vulnerabilities. Your operating system will still function, but you become a much easier target for cyberattacks.

MICROSOFT BABBLE

Currently all windows products are governed by the fixed lifecycle policy. This policy is made up of two phases – mainstream support and extended support. Mainstream support includes security patches as well as new features. This period of support ended January 13, 2015 for Windows 7. The extended support phase begins when Microsoft is no longer actively developing the product, but rather is just releasing updates to keep the product safe. This period of support will end on January 14, 2020. End of life is the conclusion of these 2 phases, and no further support will be offered for the product.

I HATE TECHNOLOGY!

Yes, this is the type of thing that drives us nuts about technology. But the good news is, this may be the last time a major change like this takes place. Microsoft seems to be planning a move to a “Windows as a Service” model, where the operating system (Windows) updates will be incremental – similar to how the updates happen to your Android or iPhone and the same as they have already done with Office 365. Time will tell what the next phase looks like…but the one constant we can be sure of (in technology particularly) is change.

SO, TO CONCLUDE

Today, the count down is on. If your business is still using Windows 7, change to Windows 10 as soon as possible. And remember, Bralin Technoloy Solutions is here to help!