14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 7 will reach the end of support on January 14, 2020, and devices still running the 2009 operating system after this date would no longer receive updates and security patches.
Needless to say, with 30 percent of the world’s PCs currently powered by Windows 7, it’s hard to believe that everyone will complete the upgrade to a newer OS by the time the end of support date is reached.
Out of these Microsoft customers, some are business that will pay for custom security updates, with the software giant to continue offering such patches for three more years.
The price of custom security updates will be per Windows 7 device and will increase every year.
ESU support
Today, Microsoft announced another change, explaining that Extended Security Updates, or ESU, will be offered to all business until 2023. According to the original plan, only Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Enterprise customers with a Volume Licensing contract were eligible for ESU.
“While many of you are well on your way to deploying Windows 10, we understand that everyone is at a different point in the upgrade process. With that in mind, today we are announcing that, through January 2023, we will extend the availability of paid Windows 7 Extended Security Updates (ESU) to businesses of all sizes,” Microsoft announced.
“Starting on December 1, 2019, businesses of any size can purchase ESU through the cloud solution provider (CSP) program. This means that customers can work with their partners to get the security they need while they make their way to Windows 10.”
As far as consumers are concerned, upgrading before the January 2020 deadline is the only option. Microsoft will stop servicing consumer versions of Windows 7 on January 14, and the company recommends users to make the switch to Windows 10 for enhanced security and continued support.