Businesses relying on old Microsoft systems to run their computers could be putting the security of their data at risk, a Swindon IT specialist is warning.
From next April, Microsoft will no longer support the Windows XP operating system – potentially leaving those companies still using it at the mercy of hackers, according to Swindon-based Sensata IT's technical director Chris Griffin. 
“Windows XP was a very good operating system, which is why there are such a large number of businesses still using it,” said Chris.
“But it has been overtaken by newer systems – the current one being Windows 8 – and Microsoft has said that from next April it will no longer put out any updates or offer technical support. This doesn’t mean that XP will stop working overnight, but anyone using it will be very susceptible to hackers. There are very big security implications.”
In 2012 it was estimated that more than 40% of businesses still used XP. While this figure will have dropped, it is thought to still be around 30%.
Chris said Microsoft’s withdrawal of support also meant XP users could have difficulty with internet access. “XP is only supported up to Internet Explorer 8. We’re now on version 10 and 11 will be out soon. This means in practice that anyone using XP may be unable to get on the internet via Internet Explorer. If they try another option – such as Google Chrome – they may find they can’t access some websites effectively.”
He added that there were other benefits to switching. When Windows 7 was introduced, businesses found they had 83% less downtime each year, reboots dropped 86% per month, and productivity was increased by 7.8 hours per year, per person.
“Our advice at Sensata is for companies to make the change now,” added Chris. “This doesn’t necessarily mean having to invest in new hardware. It may be possible to install the latest systems, either Windows 7 or Windows 8. However, businesses which do switch to a newer operating system will also need to look at any third-party software they use, as this may also then need to be upgraded.”
Sensata IT is a certified Microsoft partner and a Microsoft small business specialist.
