On January 14, 2020, Microsoft will effectively end its support for the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system for individual users and for businesses not paying for Microsoft’s Extended Support plan.
What are the implications of holding on to old operating systems? To start, users won’t receive any security updates, bug fixes or patches. The hackers are waiting for that moment of confidence, when someone in your organization’s IT department says, “No worries, we can go without paying for the extended support, I Got This.” I’ll just leave that right there.
Microsoft OS 7 won’t be sold in stores anymore, and in two years, all of the clerks in stores that sell Microsoft products won’t understand the questions you pose regarding Microsoft Windows 7. They’ll say something like, “Wow! I was only 8 years old when that operating system was first introduced! It’s from the late Triassic period, very cool!”
Really, it shouldn’t have to come to that; when a young person has to remind you that your operating system is officially a relic, and there are consequences to be paid if your company continues using outdated operating systems or an individual user, continues using an OS without support.
If your organization uses Windows OS 7, for a limited time, you can still pay for Microsoft’s “extended support”. The extended support plan will be offered in one-year increments due to companies advising Microsoft that they could not migrate their enterprise over to Windows 10 in enough time for the 2020 deadline. The extended support plan will be based on the device a company is using and the pricing will vary.
In the long run, it’s going to be more cost effective for companies to update their enterprise’s operating systems within the 1 year left, rather than continue to pay extra for support until Microsoft pulls the plug on its extended support program in January 2023. Yep, all good things must come to an end.
As a gentle reminder for individual users, your Microsoft parents are pushing your Windows 7 operating system out to sea on January 14, 2020. But don’t worry! Your team here at Redport IA, LLC will be there to remind you of the pending expiration date of January, 2023.

By Dr. Randall Sylvertooth

Sources:
https://www.cnet.com/news/microsoft-ending-windows-7-support-one-year-from-today/
https://www.computerworld.com/article/3304309/microsoft-windows/microsoft-plans-to-sell-post-2020-support-for-windows-7.html

For more information about Redport’s information assurance and cyber security services, visit www.redport-ia.com, email us at info@redport-ia.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter@redport_ia.

Gaithersburg, MD, USA