VMware engineer says that Windows XP users have no other option

Jan 14, 2014 04:42 GMT  ·  By

Windows XP will be retired in April and even though 28 percent of the desktop computers worldwide are still running it right now, everyone would abandon this OS version eventually.

That’s the opinion of Garry Owen, senior product marketing manager for user computing at VMWare, who said in an interview with ComputerWeekly that migration is still an option right now, but it would soon become the only choice for all those still on XP.

The problem of applications that run exclusively on Windows XP is one of the main issues for many businesses, Owen explained, but there are plenty of solutions to bring all these software solutions on a newer platform with reduced effort.

“Most commercial applications running under Windows XP either run unchanged under later versions of Windows or are available in newer versions that do - customers simply need to upgrade. For those mission-critical applications that this won’t work for, or for in-house developed applications, then the vast majority of these can be virtualised,” he explained.

Even though many users have expressed their intention to stick to XP beyond retirement, that’s not an option, he said, so eventually everyone will make this big step and switch to either Windows 7 or Windows 8.

Owen stressed that it’s vital to move as soon as possible, as delaying the transition would expose computers to major security risks.

“The fundamental realisation for the vast majority of organisations is that, ultimately, it’s not a viable option to stay with Windows XP so, one way or another, they have to move away as soon as possible,” he explained.

Microsoft would most likely agree with this, especially because the company is still struggling to show Windows XP users the benefits of moving to a newer platform. In the end, Windows XP continues to power 28 percent of computers worldwide with only three months left till its retirement.