14 January 2020 was a significant day for users of Microsoft Windows 7 and there are many people still using this operating system. After a decade of releases Microsoft are no longer providing extended support - security updates - unless you are an organisation prepared to pay heavily for the privilege.
“As of December 2019, Windows 7 held a market share of just under 27% globally” (Other surveys claim the actual figure is higher), “although this varies considerably depending on the demographic you look at. In the regions of Africa and India, for example, almost 40% of desktops are running Windows 7, while areas such as the US and the UK lead the way with 18% and 16% respectively.“ [1]
What action should be taken? Removing internet connectiivity from Win7 PCs is one step. There are many running internally within organisations which don’t need external access. Virtualisation within a more secure framework will also help. Of course Microsoft would prefer it if they were all upgraded to the current Windows 10 or an alternative such as a virtual desktop service.
Migration projects to Windows 10 still remain to be completed for many organisations. A comprehensive Endpoint Management suite is an important tool for these projects, and Micro Focus ZENworks is just such a solution. [3]
Windows Server 2008 has also gone out of support. If you’re looking to replace or upgrade file & print services then take a look at the latest Open Enterprise Server. [4]