Are you still using Windows Server 2003? Support for this edition of Windows Server is ending soon. Here we explain what end of support means for you and how you can best migrate to the latest version.

From 14^th July 2015, Microsoft will no longer issue security updates for any version of Windows Server 2003. If your server datacentre is still running Windows Server 2003, you should consider planning a migration strategy to transition to a later version, in order to protect your infrastructure.

By migrating from Windows Server 2003 to either Windows Server 2012 R2, Microsoft Azure or Office 365, you can achieve benefits including improved performance, reduced maintenance requirements, and increased speed of response to the business.

What does it mean for you?

• Lack of patches/updates/non-security fixes. Support for non-security-related updates was available on a for-fee basis to customers that felt it was important to continue to have access to fixes that could help their system perform optimally. 37 critical updates were released for Windows Server 2003 in 2003. After the 14^th July 2015, Windows will stop releasing updates.
• Elimination of security fixes. Security fixes are among the most critical fixes for installed servers. These fixes will no longer be delivered to Windows Server 2003 servers, regardless of how severe the issue is.
• Lack of support. In the event of a server problem, you will no longer be able to contact Microsoft for technical support. This will become particularly important if you experience an outage and are unable to restore your system or recover data and applications.
• Compliance issues. Companies in regulated industries or handling regulated data, such as payment card industry (PCI) data, may find that they are out of compliance, which could mean fines and/or companies such as Visa and MasterCard refusing to do business with an organisation that runs Windows Server 2003.
• No safety - End of support for Windows Server 2003 affects both virtual and physical servers. There will most likely be unofficial support available post-July 2015, but in the long term this may not be as economic compared to migrating to a later version of Windows Server.

As Microsoft Gold partners Gaia can provide advice on how you can best plan a migration from Windows Server 2003. For more information on transitioning from Windows Server 2003, contact our sales team today - email sales@gaia-tech.com or call 01248 675 800