Support for Windows 7 will come to an end in January 2020

Feb 7, 2019 13:44 GMT  ·  By

Support for Windows 7 will come to an end in January 2020, which means that after this date, no other security patches would be provided to devices that will still be running this OS version.

This obviously means devices will be exposed to major security risks, pretty much because any vulnerability discovered in the OS would just stay unpatched.

This is something that everyone should just avoid, no matter if we’re talking about home users of companies.

But just like it happens when support for a Windows version comes to an end, enterprises need more time to migrate to newer Windows, just because their infrastructure is more complex and additional factors are included, like app compatibility.

Recently, it was revealed that Microsoft would charge $50 per each computer in the first year after January 2020 just in case companies want to purchase custom support. This means that for a company with 100 systems, a budget of $5000 would be required just to make sure computers would still get updates for 12 more months.

However, I think paying for Windows 7 updates should be one of the last options. I know it’s one of the most convenient if you have the budget, especially because Microsoft would just take care of everything, but in reality, there are many reasons you can just save your money for something else. And in the case of enterprises with hundreds or maybe thousands of devices, this certainly sounds compelling, especially when on a tight budget.

Pricing for Windows 7 custom patches after January 2020 deadline

There’s still time to upgrade.

First and foremost, you still have some 11 months to upgrade to newer Windows. I know that for large companies 11 months may not be enough, but look at the whole thing this way: even if you delay the transition from Windows 7 to Windows 10, there’ll be a time when you still have to upgrade.

So sooner or later you’ll still move all your device to Windows 10, so why not doing it sooner and save the money you’d have to spend on custom patches?

The planning phase typically takes the most time during the upgrade process, but with so many months still left until the deadline comes, at least part of the Windows 7 device fleet can be moved to Windows 10.

And of course, if some devices are left on Windows 7 because of various reasons, there are other ways to secure them, so it’s important to prioritize the upgrade on devices that require a permanent Internet connection and which may be exposed to cyber-attacks.

Your apps will probably run just fine

One of the biggest concerns when it comes to the migration from Windows 7 to Windows 10 is app compatibility, and needless to say, this is a critical aspect for enterprises.

But according to Microsoft, 99 percent of the programs running on Windows 7 should also run smoothly on Windows 10 too. The rest of 1 percent might require only minor tweaks, and Microsoft says that it can offer assistance to enterprises in order to deal with such concerns.

If anything, the hardware requirements of Windows 7 and Windows 10 are nearly the same, so you shouldn’t notice any major slowdown after the upgrade. Sure, you may need new hardware, like Windows Hello cameras, to enjoy the full feature package of Windows 10, but in terms of performance, they are pretty similar.

There are other ways to stay secure

If you fail to upgrade your fleet to Windows 10 before the January 2020 deadline is reached, you can still avoid paying for custom patches by securing devices still on Windows 7.

Restricting access to the Internet and setting up new policies to make sure critical data wouldn’t be impacted are just two different methods to make sure your infrastructure is secure.

Plus, there are other ways to fix possible vulnerabilities, including micro patches from 0patch. The company says it will continue to roll out Windows 7 updates as long as it makes sense from a business perspective, so you could eventually find more affordable ways to stay secure.

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Windows 7 will get its last updates on January 14, 2020
Pricing for Windows 7 custom patches after January 2020 deadline
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