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Eden Technologies Talks

Windows 7

April 4, 2012

In this issue... 

The Cold, Hard Facts: What You'll Lose With The End of XP Support

Bang For Your Buck: Make Your Migration Count

NEW Webinars Scheduled: Spring Into Windows 7 

Taking Inventory: What Most Concerns You About The 2014 Support Deadline? 

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FactsThe Cold, Hard Facts: What You'll Lose In April, 2014

 

April 2014 is the day of reckoning for Windows XP and a host of other business critical applications.  Microsoft has declared it the day support ends.  Behold your primer on what that REALLY means to you.

 

No More Patches

Anyone running on Windows XP after April, 2014 won't have access to security updates, hotfix patches, free or subscription-based support, incident reports, or online technical content updates (such as those made to Knowledge Base articles).

 

The biggest potential impact of staying in XP is on the security side.  Running an operating system that is not actively patched can expose your organization to security threats designed specifically to attack outdated environments resulting in down time and data loss while compromising compliance initiatives.  

 

Other Applications Are Ending Their Lifecycle

In addition to XP, Microsoft will also pull the plug on a number of widely used applications such as IE 6 and 7, Microsoft Exchange 2003, Office 2003 (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, Publisher, InfoPath, Project, Vision, FrontPage and OneNote), SharePoint Portal Server 2003, SQL Server 2008, and Dynamics NAV 2009. These changes may also impact any custom applications that use IE or SQL Server 2008 for functionality. 

  

Hardware Devices And Drivers

Gartner has reported that many PC hardware manufacturers have already stopped supporting Windows XP on the majority of new PC models, so any organization that chooses to stay with Windows XP will have to downgrade to XP.  In addition, many aging hardware devices (printers, scanners, MFDs) are no longer being supported by their manufacturers, and won't be compatible with Windows 7.

 

How To Prepare

See the Bang For Your Buck section below for helpful hints on how you should prepare for the end of XP support, and ways in which you can leverage your Windows 7 migration efforts to get the most out of your investment.

Bang for your buck
BuckBang for Your Buck - Make Your Migration Count
  

Migrations are expensive. If you're migrating to Windows 7, you're already spending a lot of money on inventory control, application packaging and remediation, new desktops and drivers, and a host of other migration project components. If you think back to your XP migration 10 years ago, you probably recall going through the same process. Take the time now to make this migration count. Invest in your money by doing this right-- it will be the most cost-effective thing you do.

  

Continue with asset management: Once you identify all of your assets, develop an internal policy that will streamline effective management of all assets for the future. Whether it's a "check-in/check-out" policy for your computers or a secure printing methodology that will allow you to limit local hardware drivers, build a plan that will allow you to effectively and efficiently track your assets. This will be especially helpful for your upcoming mobility management initiatives.

 

Develop an application management process: Find a way to keep track of every single application uploaded into your network. Develop a system for keeping tabs on who has installed what, and how often a given application is actually used, and by what user groups.

 

Improve patch management: Develop a plan for streamlined patch management. 90% of security breaches involve a software vulnerability caused by missing patches that IT departments know about. Avoid future disasters by patching regularly, and making sure that every asset in your network is equipped with the most up-to-date patching. It's a simple step that can save you a fortune down the line.  

WebinarNEW Webinars Scheduled: Spring into Windows 7 
 

AprilApril 10, 2012: What Will the End of XP Support REALLY Mean to You?

Part II of Eden's Spring into Windows 7 webinar series provides you with an understanding of how your organization will be impacted following the end of XP support in April, 2014. Eden experts will discuss in detail the virus, malware and compliance vulnerabilities any organization still running on XP will face, and what business critical applications, such as Exchange 2003, Office 2003, IE 6 and 7, and SQL Server 2008, will go by the wayside. Join Eden for this hour-long discussion on Tuesday, April 10 at 12:00pm (EST).

 

Register Now  

  

While every Windows 7 migration project is different, the one thing they all have in common is that they are NOT the only IT initiative going on in most organizations. Attend this brief webinar on Tuesday, May 15th at 12:00pm (EST) to gain a tactical understanding of the ways in which you can bundle multiple IT projects in order to save time, money and resources. 

 

Register Now  

InventoryTaking Inventory: What most concerns you about the April, 2014 support deadline? 

 

Let us know by replying directly to this E-mail and we'll be sure to respond and address your concern in the upcoming webinar, "What Will the End of XP Support REALLY Mean to You?" 

 

FacebookLike Us on Facebook for Your Chance to Win

 

Like Eden Technologies on Facebook and leave a Windows 7-related comment on our wall, and you will automatically be entered into a drawing to win a free Windows 7 Migration Readiness Assessment--an on-site planning engagement between Eden migration experts and key Windows 7 Project stakeholders that will provide your organization with a project roadmap for moving forward, and a preparedness for any potential unexpected hiccups that might come your way. Windows 7 Migration Readiness Assessments are a highly beneficial component of Eden's consulting services, and by "Liking" us and commenting, you can win your company this highly valuable offering for free.

 

 

 

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