January 14th marks the day Microsoft officially stops supporting Windows 7, meaning there will be no more free updates, including security patches.
They initially offered extended support to large enterprises, for a fee, as part of the Extended Security Updates (ESU) programme. Identifying that some medium- and smaller-sized organisations still aren’t ready for the change, Microsoft have now extended the ESU scheme to everyone.
From December 1st, organisations will be able to purchase extended support and updates for Windows 7 from Microsoft. For Windows Enterprise users, this will cost $25 per device in year one, while for Windows Pro users the cost will be $50. As a powerful incentive to get your organisation off Windows 7 and upgrade to Windows 10, the cost of extended support will double every year. So it’s definitely not a long-term option!
If your organisation still uses Windows 7 and you’d like to discuss your options, get in touch with CompanyNet. We are experts in migration and licensing and will be able to figure out the best, most cost-effective path for your organisation.