What does the end of support for Windows Server 2003 mean for you?

Posted by Da Vinci Reprographics on 30th Mar 2015

What does the end of support for Windows Server 2003 mean for you?

        As Microsoft moves away from their 11-year-old server, what does that mean for the rest of us exactly? There are many problems that can come from the server no longer being supported and companies making the choice not to migrate. In the information age, the biggest issue is security. Since the server will no longer receive security updates companies that haven’t migrated open themselves up for a higher risk of being attacked

       Some of the other problems are application challenges, compliance issues, and lack of support. Lets look at the application problem. As applications age they stop receiving the necessary updates to make them compatible with newer servers. For example if you are using a contact management system that is a 2008 version it won’t work with a server that is 2012. So if you migrate to a newer server you will also have to convert the applications, which can take a bit of time. Which can seem like a very daunting task, but if it is taken one step at a time it can be a smooth transition.

       If the transition is too daunting of a task for your company at the moment there is a band-aid option available for the right price. As with all of their products Microsoft offers a for fee custom contract which extends the support for a limited time. This band-aid option should only be considered if you are trying to migrate from the server, but just needed more time because this option can be very pricey even for a short period of time.

     So that is the bad news, the good news is that if your company does decide to migrate then they will be getting the server that Microsoft has really put a dedicated effort into. Some of the major improvements that sever 2012 has is its manageability by improving the PowerShell along with its ease of access taking an anytime, anywhere approach which in this day an age is a company must. They have also made improvements to their web server, which can now support high-density Web domains.

     The end game of all this changing is for everyone to become more standardized which means to minimize the number of operating system versions in use also to bring your company to the palm of your hand with phones and tablets like never before. Which wouldn’t be possible on the old 2003 server. If you have questions that we can help with feel free to contact us by phone or email.