Microsoft announces end of Support for Windows XP

Microsoft Corp. has today announced that it is officially retiring support for Windows XP in the commercial market.  However, the end-of-support will be reached gradually over the next 12 months to give the Windows team at Microsoft ample time to migrate customers to modern Operating Systems like Windows 7 and the more recently launched flagship OS from Microsoft, Windows 8, before April 8^th of 2014.

End-of-support of the Windows XP Operating System essentially means that customers using Windows XP will no longer receive security updates and patches or tech support from Microsoft on issues relating to Windows XP. Customers who decide to continue using Windows XP will have to source for support contracts with private vendors who will manage any issues they encounter.

“The Windows team will now embark on communicating the benefits of Windows 8 as well as the risks associated with maintaining a Windows XP environment after April 8^th next year. Windows XP will not receive any new security updates and patches or online technical support a year from now,” said Kevin Connolly, Windows Business Group Manager, Microsoft West, East, Central Africa and Indian Ocean Islands.

Windows XP is an operating system that was launched by Microsoft in 2001 and had by January 2006 sold over 400 million copies. Windows XP comes only second to Windows 7, Microsoft’s most successful OS, based on installed user licenses. The name “XP” is short for “eXPerience“, highlighting the enhanced user experience. Windows XP succeeded Windows 2000 and Windows ME as the first consumer-oriented operating system built on the Windows NT kernel by Microsoft.

“Windows XP was a good and stable operating system, but computers have changed so much in the past dozen years since XP was created. I think anyone switchingfrom XP to Windows 7 or Windows 8 will be amazed by the differences. The current version of Windows is so much faster than XP, it’s much more secure than XP ever was, and you can simply do much more now than you could with XP. Your battery will even last a lot longer. With Windows 8, your experience is the same across multiple devices like laptops and smart phones and tablets, and these new devices with touch-screens open up a whole new world of fun and productivity. I’d tell anyone still running Windows XP that now is the time to move to Windows 8 and enjoy a simpler, faster, more secure, and enjoyable experience,” said Robert Kunga, an ICT blogger

Windows 8, the successor to Windows 7 and Microsoft’s flagship Operating System, was launched for general availability on 26^th October 2012 and builds on Windows 7 fundamentals like speed, reliability and security. Windows 8 creates a modern platform designed for a new generation of hardware experiences ranging from tablets and innovative touch devices to traditional desktops and laptops to give a seamless experience on all these hardware devices.

Retail sales for Windows XP ceased on June 30, 2008 although Microsoft continued to sell it under their System Builders (smaller Original Equipment Manufacturers who sell assembled computers) program until January 31, 2009.In April 10 of 2012, Microsoft reaffirmed that extended support for Windows XP and Office 2003 would end on April 8, 2014 and suggested that administrators begin preparing to migrate to a newer OS.

Consumers switching to Windows 7 and Windows 8 operating systems can follow easy steps from the following link: www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/endofsupport.aspx