On January 20^th 2020 Windows 7 will go “End of Life”. It seems a while away at the moment but it is something for all businesses (especially the larger companies) to think about now! It sounds scary but here is what it actually means and why you should upgrade before the deadline.

“End of Life” – What does it mean?

“End of Life” is when a company stops supporting a product or service. It doesn’t mean Windows 7 will stop working but all future security patches and support will cease. This means computer systems still running Windows 7 could be more exposed to security breaches and attacks. Also, if problems occur with your Windows 7 OS (Operating System) then Microsoft will refuse to help. Every Windows product has a lifecycle so this is nothing new.

What’s next?

The easiest way to combat the end of Windows 7 is to upgrade to the most recent OS Microsoft has released. This is Windows 10. This OS has been on the market since 2015 and has been fairly stable. People will ask “But what about the dreadful upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 8?”. When it comes to using the OS, Windows 10 is very similar to Windows 7. The problem with the Windows 8 upgrade is that it was more suited to tablet users rather than desktop or laptop users. This means a lot of users skipped this upgrade. Yes, all changes take a degree of getting used to but the jump isn’t as drastic as the previous upgrade. We have been including Windows 10 on our custom build PCs for the last 3 years and we are very happy with the OS. Our customers have been very comfortable with the upgrade also so people shouldn’t be put off by the change.

Benefits of Windows 10

The first benefit of Windows 10 is the speed. Quicker boot times gets you working a lot quicker than when using Windows 7 that could take minutes to load.

Another benefit is the familiar surroundings of Windows 10. As we’ve already mentioned, Windows 10 is very similar to Windows 7. Users will feel less intimidated with the switch

The addition of the digital assistant, Cortana, is a great feature. You can find Cortana as part of the start menu. Cortana can be used for simple PC or web searches. It can also be used to set appointments and send emails.

Hopefully this explains a bit about Windows 7 going “End of Life” and what steps your business should take in avoiding potential security breaches. Windows 10 is a great upgrade and people will see the benefits in making the change.