On July 14th 2015, Microsoft will be ending support for Windows Server 2003. As per the situation with Windows XP, if you're still running Windows Server 2003 within your business, you really cannot afford to.
The IDC recently published a white paper on why you should 'get current' and move away from Windows Server 2003.
In this blog post we aim to summarise a lot of what the IDC says and write it in plain English, as well as provide you with alternative options to Windows Server 2003. As at the end of Windows XP, Microsoft will stop providing security patches and bug fixes. This means that their software will become more insecure, which puts your businesses data at risk. If that's not worrying enough, the ICO will issue fines of up to £500,000. You can take a look at some of their recent fines here.
If you find yourself in the situation where you have a server running Windows Server 2003, it's of the utmost importance that you move away from it, otherwise you could be really putting your business on shaky ground.
So what are my options?
The first and foremost option would be to simply replace your server that's running Windows Server 2003 with a later version of Windows Server. Talk to us. We can help and get you moving forward with a new server and the migration this involves. If you call Dawn, she will talk you through the potential costs of a new server - so you know what you're looking at finance-wise. This is the most obvious way to move forward.
However, just ask yourself if you really need an onsite server.
Your other option is to move to the cloud. For some customers, the Cloud makes a lot of sense. If you're a charity, Google and Microsoft offer discounts on their services, for example Google For Work and Microsoft Office 365 could be free if you're a UK registered charity.
But even if you're not a charity, Google For Work and Microsoft Office 365 are available at a really low price. For example Google Apps is £3.30 per user per month, or £6.60 per user per month with unlimited storage. With this, you get Gmail, hangouts (video conferencing), social networking, Google Drive and Docs and much, much more. You can learn a bit more about Google Apps for work here.
Microsoft Office 365 is available at three tiers of pricing, the lowest tier is £3.10 per user per month, which includes Office Online, email storage (limited to 50GB per user) video conferencing, and social networking. Then at £7.80 per user per month, you get all of the lowest tier as well as full Microsoft Office, and office for mobile and tablets.
Your other great option would be to move to the Cultrix Cloud. With Cultrix Cloud you get a virtual desktop within our own bespoke cloud solution. All your data is stored safely and securely in our own data centre here in the UK. This is the most expensive cloud option but it could be the best option for some users, including you.
Get in touch, talk to us. We're always happy to chat and help you find what you need. At Cultrix we don't try to sell you anything you don't need, you can just trust us to give you free and impartial advice on finding the best solution for you; in this case moving away from Windows Server 2003, and securing your business integrity, not to mention your peace of mind.
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