What Does “End-of-Life” Mean?
Windows 7, the popular OS for personal and commercial use that first became available a decade ago will soon enter it’s sunset “end of life” phase with Microsoft. While this does not mean that Windows 7 will suddenly cease to function, it does mean that all updates will stop and Microsoft will no longer maintain the product. Even though some systems will limp along and third-party fixes may be developed, those continuing to use Windows 7 will be likely experience poor performance and be immensely vulnerable to security threats. Also, many connected systems will cease to properly communicate with Windows 7 due to the higher security risks and performance issues.
From now until January 2020, all Windows 7 systems will be running on an “extended support” basis with Microsoft. In place of Microsoft’s complimentary support of their operating systems, they will offer additional support for a fee. This extended support will primarily include security upgrades and not include design or feature upgrades. You may be telling yourself “Well, that’s not really news. I mean, who is still using Windows 7?” The scary part is that certain parts of your organization’s IT infrastructure could be using certain aspects of Windows 7 without your knowledge. If even one point of your IT infrastructure is using Windows 7, your entire system can become extremely vulnerable to security threats and performance issues once Microsoft terminates support for Windows 7 in January 2020.