Microsoft ending support for Server 2003

Thousands of small firms in Ireland could potentially be putting their business at risk as Microsoft ends its support for Server 2003.

The company has set July 15th as the end of support for the software, which is more than a decade old.

“Effectively, what happens is Microsoft ceases to supply updates for the Windows Server 2003 platform,” said the tech giant’s head of cloud and enterprise, Art Coughlan. “We won’t be releasing critical updates, so if a vulnerability or problem occurs, we won’t be continuing to invest to maintain the platform.

“To put the move in context,” he added, “some 37 critical updates were released for Windows server 2003 in 2013.”

As of March there were almost 24,000 servers in Ireland running the outdated software, Mr Coughlan said. He expected that some of those would now have migrated to a new version of the server programme.

The majority of those were running business applications, he said, including payroll, stocktake and inventory, ERP and other applications that are core to the business. The rest were split between email and more functional server roles.

Customer effect

The end of support is not just important because of the impact on a company’s internal business, but also the effect it could have on its customers.

“Anyone who works in an industry where they need to be continually compliant, in terms of requirement to meet an industry standard or show that they’re taking the necessary steps to mitigate against risk, Windows Server 2003 after that date simply will not be compliant. They will not pass an audit,” Mr Coughlan said.

“The implications here are around exposure from a security data privacy perspective. A portion of IT could become non-compliant. That has an knock-on effect not only in their business but also the businesses they serve.”

Many companies have missed the window to begin the process of having their servers migrated completely by mid- July. Experts say the process to move data from servers running the older software to more up-up- date equipment could take as long as 200 days, depending on the application.

Companies need to assess what applications they are using and need to move, and where is their best new home.

"Applications that don't run on the latest technology is one of the key issues we come across a lot," said Neal Heaney, business development manager at Unity Technology Solutions in Dublin.

While the primary reason for upgrading may be the risks that come with not taking any action, there are also significant benefits to organisations, Mr Coughlan said.

New efficiencies

Older hardware running Server 2003 may need an upgrade, and with that comes a huge opportunity for people to take advantage of significant efficiencies present in hardware that weren’t there a decade ago, he added.

“The average server is five times more efficient today than it was a decade ago purely in the area of power consumption,” he said.

Companies could also look at moving to the cloud if it suits their business, with the situation presenting the ideal opportunity to reassess the company’s server needs.