14 DAY TRIAL // Millions of computers across the world are still running Windows XP right now even if Microsoft stopped providing support and security patches, but a number of companies are paying a fortune to the software giant for custom fixes that could keep their computers secure.
A report coming from Computerworld and citing anonymous sources indicates that Microsoft has reduced the Windows XP custom support price just before the April 8 upgrade deadline, thus making it possible for companies to keep their machines on the safe side at a more affordable fee.
Not much is known about Microsoft’s pricing policy, but according to the aforementioned report, a company that has negotiated with the Redmond-based tech giant the possibility to receive extended support for 10,000 Windows XP computers agreed with a price of $250,000 (€180,000). A third-party company also offered to provide patches for $2 million (€1.4 million), the source says.
What’s more, it appears that after negotiations, Microsoft lowered the price of custom Windows XP support for another company from $85 million (€61 million) to only $3 million (€2.1 million). The software giant charges $250 (€180) for each computer that needs to be updated in the first 12 months after end of support arrives.
In a statement for ZDNet, a company spokesperson confirmed that it reduced prices for Windows XP support, but hasn’t provided any specifics.
“We’ve been working with customers and partners on the migration from Windows XP since we announced in September 2007 that support for Windows XP would end on April 8. 2014. As part of this effort, we’ve made custom support more affordable so large enterprise organizations could have temporary support in place while they migrate to a more modern and secure operating system.”
Redmond recently said in a short statement that custom support for Windows XP should only be considered the last option, so everyone must continue efforts to upgrade to a newer OS version that would basically ensure that all their data is perfectly secure. Approximately 28 percent of the world’s desktop computers are still running Windows XP right now.
“Custom Support is provided to large, enterprise customers whose migration from Windows XP was not complete by April 8, 2014. It is a temporary measure designed to help large customers with complex migrations. It should be considered as a last resort for customers who are in the process of migrating from Windows XP to a modern operating system,” the company says.