Nicole Georgiou
As most of you will probably already know, Windows 7 support will cease on 14th January 2020.
This means that Microsoft will stop producing security updates and patches and stop providing tech support also.
Last year, we wrote an article which discussed everything you need to know about this key change and how to prepare for it. According to data from Net MarketShare1, it seems a number of Windows 7 users have slowly started migrating to Windows 10, with Windows 10 market shares overtaking Windows 7 by 0.35%. However, it is clear that there are still plenty of businesses and systems yet to migrate.
As a result, we thought it would be beneficial to inform you of a few crucial reasons as to why you should consider migrating from Windows 7 to Windows 10 as the deadline approaches:
Microsoft has warned individuals that if they continue to use the software it could become “more vulnerable to security risks and viruses”2, so it is important to ensure that your business is prepared for this change. It’s also important to note that if your business is certified by the Cyber Essentials Scheme and you haven’t upgraded to Windows 10 by 2020, you could be at risk of losing your certifi cation as your machines are running at an unsupported level and thus more at risk from a cyber-attack.
Whilst Microsoft has declared that some Windows 7 PCs will be suitable for upgrading to Windows 10, they recommend that users obtain newer hardware when changing operating system.
This is because the latest units from big tier vendors like Dell and HP only include the latest generation of Intel and AMD chips, so are more likely to be compatible with the new operating system, whereas older processor generations may not be.
Microsoft have acknowledged the ever-growing demand for mobile working and the necessity to be able to work from a number of diff erent devices, as Windows 10 allows one app to run across every Windows device in a company. They state that this “represents the latest step in their platform convergence journey”.3
Rather than releasing updates in big swoops and needing users to download them, Microsoft will be releasing updates on a rolling basis (more like Apple). This means that users will see more and more small improvements in short periods.
We’ve mentioned just a few of the reasons why you should consider migrating from Windows 7 to Windows 10 but there are many more. If you are looking to move to Windows 10 or would like some advice or more information, please get in touch by emailing info@symetri.co.uk or calling 0345 370 1444.
1 Net MarketShare, Market Share Statistics for Internet Technologies, https://netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx (8th August 19).
2 Express.co.uk, Windows 10 just scored a huge victory as Microsoft releases another update to fans, https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/science-technology/1161967/Windows-
10-update-Microsoft-release-new-software-version.
3 IT Business Edge, Key Reasons for Businesses to Upgrade to Windows 10, https://www.itbusinessedge.com/slideshows/key-reasons-for-businesses-to-upgrade-to-windows-10-07.html.
