As Microsoft launch a number of exciting new innovations, this year we see a number of products retiring and reaching the end of support.
As these products and services retire or reach the end of support, organisations risk vulnerabilities due to no new security updates, non-security updates, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates. We’ve summarised everything you need to know about this below.
Microsoft Product and Service Retirements and End of Service in 2023
Many of you, our customers included, should take note of some of the key products and services as follows:
- Server 2012
- SQL 2012
- Windows 10 Pro 21H2
- Office Suite 2019
These particular products are what will run your back-office environments and should there not be support, will cause supportability issues should they not be addressed. Please speak to us if you have not already done so through your account managers to find out how we can help.
Product Retirements
February 10, 2023 |
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March 31, 2023 |
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August 31, 2023 |
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Microsoft Azure Virtual Machine (classic) |
September 1, 2023 |
End of Service
February 2, 2023 |
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March 3, 2023 |
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Dynamics 365 Business Central on-premises (Modern Policy), 2021 release wave 2, version 19.x |
April 12, 2023 |
Windows 10 Enterprise and Education, Version 20H2 |
May 9, 2023 |
June 1, 2023 |
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June 13, 2023 |
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October 6, 2023 |
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Dynamics 365 Business Central on-premises (Modern Policy), 2022 release wave 1, version 20.x |
October 10, 2023 |
End of Support
Products moving to extended support
What does this mean and how does it impact your organisation?
Products that have reached their ‘Extended Support End Date’ will receive no patches, security updates or support from Microsoft. If you continue to use any of the listed products and do nothing, it’s likely that your organisation is more vulnerable to security risks. These risks will only grow over time, so it’s vital you act.
For those that are moving to “Extended Support”, you will have access to security updates at no cost and paid non-security updates and support. This is a “last resort” option for products past the end of support date. So, it is not ideal to continue using them unless you have an important reason, such as an application or infrastructure constraint that’s keeping you on this version.
The impact:
Security Risks: End of support means Microsoft will no longer release security updates or patches for that product/software. If your organisation continues to use these products/services you are likely to become a prime target to hackers, increasing the risk of data breaches, malware viruses, and other security incidents.
Compliance Issues: Many industries have regulatory requirements that mandate the use of supported software versions. When Microsoft ends support, it may no longer comply with these regulations, putting you at risk of non-compliance and potential legal consequences.
Compatibility Challenges: By using products/software that is out of date, you may come across compatibility issues with new applications, devices, or services that you integrate or use throughout your business. This may impact productivity within the business as your team cannot use software that they utilise day-to-day that is up to date.
Increased Costs: By using end-of-support products and putting your organisation at risk, our organisation may need to invest in additional security measures, including third-party solutions, to compensate for the lack of official updates.
Loss of Vendor Support: When a product reaches the end of support, Microsoft typically stops providing technical assistance and customer support for that software. This means your business will no longer rely on Microsoft for help with troubleshooting, bug fixes, or product updates. This puts more responsibility on your IT department or support staff to resolve any issues that may arise.
What are your options?
Upon these end-of-support dates, we recommend you upgrade your systems and plan ahead.
Upgrade to the latest software: As your software reaches out of support, we highly advise organisations to upgrade to the newest version. This option restores access to security updates and support from Microsoft. The upgrade process may involve purchasing licenses, migrating, and testing compatibility with existing systems. If that’s the case, our team are ready to support you and ensure you have reliable software moving forward.
Migrate to the cloud: Instead of upgrading to a newer version of on-premises software, it may be beneficial to consider migrating to a cloud-based solution. We can help with this. By assessing your current IT infrastructure and business requirements, we can help you select the appropriate cloud solution and design a suitable architecture.
This includes data migration, application migration, and integration with existing systems, ensuring smooth interoperability.
We also work with your team to provide training and support to help your people adapt to the new solution and provide ongoing support and optimisation services to ensure the cloud environment's reliability and performance.
Do nothing: Your software will proceed to operate post the end-of-support date, but your systems and applications will be increasingly vulnerable to cyber. Your workloads will be unsupported, and you will receive no support from Microsoft, which can put more precious on your IT team and reduce productivity.
By taking proactive measures, you can effectively manage the impacts of Microsoft's end of support and retirement and maintain a secure and efficient technology environment.
