Opportunity opens for businesses to rethink operations
Microsoft has stated that after July 14 it will no longer issue security updates for any version of Windows Server 2003. Therefore, organisations still running Windows Server 2003 in their data centre would need to take steps to execute a migration strategy to protect their infrastructure.
According to Microsoft, by migrating to Windows Server 2012 R2, Microsoft Azure or Office 365, these organisations can enjoy benefits such as improved performance, reduced maintenance requirements, and increased agility and speed of response to the business.
According to Yomi Alarape, group director, Cloud and Enterprise Business, Microsoft Nigeria, product retirement is normal because the company has a support life cycle for each product.
Yinka Oni, chief technology officer, Microsoft Nigeria, said, “This is not a message of doom from Microsoft. It just provides opportunity for businesses to rethink the way they do their businesses. Most organisations want to do more with less resource and be productive in the way they do their businesses. We have office 365 as options that businesses can leverage on now. In moving forward, we have provided guidance and support for our customers. We have provided a clear-cut way to go about this.”
The implication is that customers that do not migrate would no longer get security updates, and they will not be able to leverage on technology and would be exposed to risks. It would also be more expensive to stay on Windows Server 2003 as they would be spending more to maintain their server.
Oni however stated that most enterprises can leverage on Microsoft cloud platform. “They can also use windows server 2012 and also office 365. This is a collaboration to redefine the way they do their business and leverage on a global impact.”
Oni further stated that Microsoft is already engaging stakeholders such as Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), other chambers of commerce, CEOs of small and mid-sized businesses and so on.
According to the International Data Centre (IDC), July 14, 2015, is the end of an extended generous Windows product support cycle. Speaking on this termination of support for Windows Server 2003, IDC states:
·As with the termination of Windows XP extended support, which took place in April 2014, Microsoft faces a scenario where a meaningful portion of its product installed base remains on a product that has been replaced multiple times. In this case, Windows Server 2003 has been replaced by Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2012 R2. The time has come for customers to take this conclusion of a lengthy life cycle seriously and make near-term plans to begin a migration plan.
Unlike Windows XP, where there were application migration challenges that created barriers for some customers to move forward to a newer product, Windows Server 2012 R2 offers relatively good application compatibility with Windows Server 2003. Although Windows Server 2012 R2 is delivered as a 64-bit operating system, most 32-bit applications that have no 16-bit code segments should install and run on Windows Server 2012 R2 through Windows on Windows 64 (WoW64) technology. The main exception to this compatibility story is for applications that operate in kernel mode rather than user mode. Security applications and some system utilities such as backup and management agents are among the applications that are likely to need an upgrade as part of a migration to Windows Server 2012 R2.
Windows Server 2012 R2 offers a lengthy list of improvements compared with Windows Server 2003, including integrated virtualisation, better security, extensive scalability, new operational roles, script execution capabilities, and far more. While it is a substantial learning curve to move directly from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2012 R2, customers are well advised to not make an interim upgrade to Windows Server 2008 as that product is facing end of mainstream support in January 2015.
Customers that go beyond the termination of extended support place themselves at potential security risks and potentially in a regulatory noncompliance situation. Even if regulatory compliance is not a concern, the security improvements that Windows Server 2012 R2 offers are worth adopting if just to help defend against industrial espionage.
OLUYINKA ALAWODE