Five Reasons to Upgrade from Windows 7 Today

Windows 7 is going end-of-life in January 2020 – less than six months from the time we’re writing this. The early data shows that most companies haven’t prepared for this deadline. Almost 20% of organizations have no idea when the deadline will hit, and only 6% know when then the deadline will hit – but still have no plans to make the change. In other words, leaving a quarter of organizations stranded by the end-of-life deadline.

If your organization still has Windows 7 terminals in the pipeline to upgrade, you may not be feeling any particular urgency. After all, the end of Windows 7 support doesn’t mean that your computers will stop to operate. With the absence of new features or security upgrades, they’ll become that much more vulnerable and difficult to use. Here are five reasons why you need to accelerate your Windows 7 upgrade plans if you haven’t done so already.

1. Windows Security Concerns are Accelerating

Malware is getting more advanced as time goes by – and that goes double for unpatched end-of-life systems. You can’t hide unpatched systems behind a firewall, as the continued growth of cloud services and remote work exposes your critical infrastructure beyond the reach of a secure perimeter.

New vulnerabilities affect old operating systems all the time, with security researchers discovering over 16,000 per year as of 2018. 76% of attacks now make use of before undiscovered vulnerabilities or fileless malware that can evade antivirus. With Windows 7 going end-of-life, Microsoft will not patch these vulnerabilities, making your computers insecure.

2. Obsolete Operating Systems Break Compliance

If your industry is governed by a compliance regime such as PCI-DSS, HIPAA, SOX, or the GDPR, you have a responsibility to protect your critical data. Violators can receive expensive fines or even jail time in some cases. Here’s a hint: storing critical data on an insecure system is not going to impress auditors. You either need to move all data that could be sensitive off your Windows 7 endpoints or upgrade them to Windows 10. Guess which job is easier?

3. Old Computers Slow Down Productivity

Have you ever tried to check your mail, edit a long word document, or navigate the internet on an old computer? It’s not the best. Windows 7 endpoints will be unable to open the latest file formats, run the latest applications, or browse media-rich websites. Your workers will be behind the curve in an era where every company is implementing a digital transformation. The average worker can waste 40 minutes a day because of slow or obsolete technology. Failing to upgrade from Windows 7 will make the problem even worse.

4. Operating Legacy Hardware Will Eat Your Bottom Line

As it turns out, you can hire Microsoft to get you the latest patches and upgrades for Windows 7, even after January 2020 – but it won’t be cheap. You will pay $50 per desktop in the first year after Windows 7 goes end-of-life, but that cost will rise to $200 per device by year three. Extended support will become unavailable thereafter. If you’re maintaining a large stable of Windows 7 computers, you can either pay to keep them secure, or receive free updates with a Windows 10 License.

5. Obsolete Computers are a Sign of Obsolete Infrastructure

If you’re a dedicated IT admin, it can be easy to focus the many projects you have over the unseen threats to your endpoints. But, if your desktops are obsolete it’s likely that your servers and switches are as well. 64% of organizations are boosting their IT infrastructure in 2019 out of necessity to keep up with the latest technologies. Instead of spending extra IT budget dollars due to outdated desktops, imagine what you could accomplish if you were able to spend those budget dollars on innovation?

NexusTek Helps Make Upgrades Simple

If you’re in need to optimize your endpoints, NexusTek can help. Our managed IT services allow you to focus on your core job functions while we perform the meticulous work of getting your technology ready for a new OS. While you focus on building your company a better future, we’ll help make sure that your infrastructure is ready for the present and beyond – contact us today for more information!