14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is getting ready to end the support for Windows 7, the operating system that it launched in 2009, but in the meantime, it looks some a significant number of companies should be more worried about their machines running an 18-year-old Windows version.
Research conducted by Spiceworks (via WinFuture) reveals that in 2019, no less than 32% of the companies still have Windows XP devices in their fleets, down from 42% in 2017.
Windows XP was released in 2001 and exited support in April 2014, so it no longer receives updates and security patches.
Windows 7 likely to become the new Windows XP
More alarming is that the Windows 7 usage within companies is at high levels. A total of 79% of the companies included in the survey run Windows 7, down from 84% two years ago.
“Often, older devices or software remain present on networks far past their end of support dates, whether due to legacy applications that won’t run on newer operating systems, embedded software that was never updated by the manufacturer, or lack of funding and resources needed to update end user or back-end systems,” Spiceworks explains.
“In fact, according to Spiceworks technology deployment data, 32% of businesses still have Windows XP installed on at least one device on their network, despite the OS’s end of service date in 2014. While this figure is down slightly from 42% in 2017, the number of companies with outdated and therefore vulnerable machines is alarming.”
The good news is that 67% of the companies still using Windows 7 on their devices plan to move to newer Windows by the January deadline, but on the other hand, 25% of them said the upgrade would be performed after January 2020 when the support for this OS version comes to an end.