Remember when Microsoft first released Windows XP back in 2001? Yes, it really has been over a dozen years since its initial release. Initially annoying because of its somewhat different look and feel, users eventually embraced XP as a prettier, more stable successor to Windows 2000. In the intervening years, along came Windows Vista, which some users may have had at home, but Vista never achieved widespread adoption in business environments. In 2010, Windows 7 became what, some would argue, Vista should have been.
Many firms have been slow to adopt Windows 7, even when hardware needed to be replaced; just the other day I encountered a PC that is less than 3 years old, but whose user insisted on having Windows XP when it was set up. This can happen for reasons of software compatibility, or simply to maintain a comfort level with an operating system that people interact with for hours every day.
Microsoft, for its part, has been patient with the user community, having set – and then postponed – the sunset date for Windows XP several times. Consumers will go to Best Buy and purchase the laptop with the latest bells and whistles—these days they sport Windows 8.1, but businesses need to be more cautious and make sure that all of their software will still work, or budget for upgraded versions that will be compatible with a new version of Windows. The software compatibility issue really adds to the cost of upgrading Windows and is a major reason why firms often try to delay this step.
Now we hear that a definitive end-of-life has been set as of April 8, 2014. Microsoft explains this in detail here. What does this mean to your firm if you still have machines running this version? Firms should ultimately follow the recommendations of their IT consultants, but here are some of the major issues:
- Software compatibility. Software companies are unlikely to test new releases on a version of Windows that isn’t even being supported by its own vendor, so new software is likely to be untested and unsupported on XP. For example, Timeslips 2014 requires a minimum of Windows 7 Professional.
- Hardware compatibility. Thinking about adding a scanner or printer? Better make sure it comes with Windows XP drivers, or at least check to see whether XP includes a driver for this model.
- Security updates will cease. These days it seems that stories of malware and virus infections are more common than ever, even with the anti-virus community’s efforts to keep up. Even a PC with up-to-the-minute protection is not guaranteed bulletproof. It is suspected that malicious hackers are waiting eagerly for April 8 in order to unleash threats from which they know XP machines will not be protected. Why put your entire network at risk?
- Your current software is already certified for this. Nearly all vendors of business software have released Windows 8-compatible versions. There are no more excuses. And these same programs have been working just fine on Windows 7 for some time.
- No more bug fixes or patches.
· You are missing out on new features. A lot of functionality has been added to Windows. For example, I first used the Snipping Tool accessory when I got my first post-XP laptop, and it is one that I use each and every day for sending screen shots to clients and support departments, or for creating my own documentation for office procedures.
Looking at the big picture, the cost of not upgrading Windows is now at a point where it could far exceed the cost of upgrading. All it takes is for one user to click on a dangerous link to seriously compromise the entire firm.
To plan your transition, contact an Eastern Legal Systems consultant with your questions about which versions of your favorite software are compatible with various versions of Windows. And mark April 8, 2014 on your calendar.
Jack Schaller has been active in the field of law office technology since 1989, and has worked with a variety of commercial accounting, legal billing, practice management, and document management software products during his twenty plus years in the software consulting field. During his tenure as a software consultant he has garnered many sales and service awards for his work with legal software products. Jack is a frequent presenter at legal conferences and seminars, and is a regular contributor to TechnoLawyer and other technology publications.
Great article, Karen! In addition to all the points you raise, a recent article in the ABA Journal about Windows XP contained the following quote from John Simek, VP for Sensei Enterprises: “Some states may consider an attorney’s continued use of XP to be a violation of their ethical duties and potentially subject to disciplinary action. In addition, there is probably some exclusion in their malpractice insurance policy if they continue to use an unsupported operating system.” All of these reasons are important for law firms to take into consideration if they insist on clinging to an outmoded operating system.