By Dana Riel
Those of us who are QuickBooks Pro Advisors received an interesting email this week from Intuit Software, the manufacturers of QuickBooks. It announced the fact that Windows 7 will no longer be supported by Microsoft on January 14, 2020. Here is the paragraph that caught my attention:
“At Intuit, the security of our customers’ data is a top priority. To help customers safeguard their personal information, like their Social Security number and bank account information, we strongly recommend that desktop customers using Windows 7 upgrade to Windows 10. QuickBooks will remain ready to use once you have upgraded. “ (emphasis mine)
Other firms associated with the products we support have also made announcements like this and stressed why it’s important to keep up with the latest versions of their own products. This is the first time, however, when a software company urges users not to upgrade their product but rather upgrade their operating system, with a strong hint that to do so makes their product continue to work.
I asked representatives from Intuit to clarify their statements and they said that QuickBooks Desktop 2020 (and Turbo Tax 2019) will continue to work on Windows 7 machines past January 14. However, they emphasized they would not be held responsible or liable for users who run these programs, nor for the security of the data contained in those programs, under an unsupported version of Windows past that date. Next year’s versions — QuickBooks Desktop 2021 and Turbo Tax 2020 — will work on Windows 10 systems only.
All of this points back to statements we’ve been posting here for awhile:
- Firms and organizations are responsible for maintaining their hardware and operating systems, keeping up to date with supported versions of software, and for protecting the data generated by and contained in those programs. Law firms and those organizations required to meet HIIPA standards have an especial duty in order to be in compliance with those standards and responsibilities.
- Ignorance is not bliss. Our entire team here at Crosspointe has dealt with too many clients this year who have been victims of ransomware and other malware.
- When planning to upgrade hardware or operating systems, it is important to also plan to upgrade software that works with the new hardware or operating systems.
We’re beginning to hear from clients who are making plans for end-of-year decisions about the direction they want to go in 2020. We are assisting in providing guidance to help people with those decisions, whether it is upgrading hardware and software; or making a move to remote environments or cloud-based applications. Contact us at [email protected] or call us at 877-357-0555 – we’re ready to help.
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Dana Riel is President and Founder of Business Solutions, Inc., serving the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area since 1985. Her firm is the authorized training center for the region for Time Matters and PCLaw by PCLaw|Time Matters, PLLC; Timeslips and Sage 50 Accounting by Sage Software; and QuickBooks by Intuit Corporation. She also serves as a consultant for Caret Legal (formerly known as Zola Suite), CosmoLex, Soluno & TimeSolv. As a trainer, Dana has provided training services to organizations such as the DOD Defense Logistics Agency, Judge Advocate General’s Office (JAG)/Department of the Navy, University of the District of Columbia School of Law, U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as with small‐ to mid‐size law firms in the Baltimore‐Washington D.C. area. In 2009, she participated in the series of day‐long seminars sponsored by the District of Columbia Bar Association Practice Management Section, titled “Basic Training: Learn About Running a Law Office”. Ms. Riel also served as an Adjunct Professor in Georgetown University’s Paralegal Studies Program, having taught the course, “Legal Ethics/Legal Technology” in 2009; and “Legal Technology” for the Spring and Summer Semesters of 2010. She presently serves on the Advisory Board for PCLaw|Time Matters, PLLC.
