End of Support 2020

End-of-Support 2020: Microsoft Edition

It’s a sad but essential fact of life in the IT world. Software and hardware are born into this world, and eventually, software and hardware are resigned to the tech graveyard. We call this “end-of-support” or EOS in the business. For Microsoft products that are reaching EOS in 2020, the end is near.

If you use software in the lists below or on the Microsoft website, please reach out to us this week. We can help you identify and install updates now so you can stay productive come 2020.

What Happens When a Microsoft Product Reaches End-of-Support?

End-of-support for Microsoft products means that those products will no longer be supported by the company. Something not working properly? You won’t get help from Microsoft. Those security updates that protect your system from hackers and other bad actors? No longer available. You’re on your own. 

Using software of any kind past its EOS date is extremely risky. It reduces the chances that you can recover any lost data. You can also bet that bad actors have EOS dates on their calendars already. It’ll be open season for any systems still using the unsupported software. 

What’s Facing EOS in 2020?

So far, Microsoft has announced EOS dates for eight products.

The following products will reach EOS on January 14, 2020:

  • Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 (Twelve years is long enough—contact us to upgrade!)
  • Exchange Server 2010
  • Windows 7 Operating System (This is a big deal. Consider upgrading ASAP.)
  • Windows 7 Professional for Embedded Systems 

Here’s a list of products no longer supported past October 13, 2020:

  • Office 2010 Client (Time to upgrade to Office 365.)
  • SharePoint Server 2010
  • Project Server 2010
  • Windows Embedded Standard 7

What Do I Do if My Software or Servers Are on This List?

Give Jurrens & Associates a call today. Whether your organization is large or small, changes on this scale require professional help. We can help you understand all of the options on the market today so you can make the right decision for your business. Let’s talk.