14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft will officially retire Windows XP on April 8, 2014 and in order to make sure that most users will be running another OS version when the retirement date comes, Redmond has asked its partners to support its efforts.
Both HP and Intel have already launched programs to assist users as they migrate from Windows XP to Windows 7 or 8.1 and the first signs are already encouraging.
“So, we're leading... the migration off of XP. And we actually -- I think, Microsoft would probably tell you -- we're among the leaders in terms of spearheading that migration. We've been on this for well over a year, and it's actually going pretty well,” Meg Whitman, HP's CEO, was quoted as saying by CNET.
Intel, on the other hand, sees Windows XP’s retirement as a great opportunity for businesses who are trying to capitalize on this moment and bring in more users looking to deploy a new operating system.
“Remember, Windows XP [support] end of life is in April so we have confidence that the business refresh which typically comes with a hardware upgrade is heading our way... whether they move to Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 that's a big change for business,” Intel's general manager of the PC Client Group, Kirk Skaugen, also added.
Windows XP is currently installed on more than 30 percent of computers worldwide, which makes Microsoft’s mission to discontinue the 12-year-old operating system a pretty tough challenge.
Of course, the software giant puts the emphasis on the security risks caused by sticking on an unsupported platform, reminding users that hackers will be able to break into an operating system and access your data without any problem due to unpatched vulnerabilities.
At the same time, Microsoft is also planning to stop releasing virus definitions for Security Essentials on Windows XP, in another attempt to convince users that it’s a must to move to a newer platform.