Jul
19
Written by:
Fred Maurer
7/19/2010 3:10 PM
It depends on your unique network & IT situation. Consider a professional, hard target audit of your PC/desktop and network server hardware & software with documented recommendations. The end of support for Windows 2000 is no big surprise. But Windows XP Pro SP2? That may be a problem for many small to mid-size organizations. Going from XP Pro SP2 to SP3 is almost an operating system level upgrade. And where does Windows 7 fit into all this?
Parkview sees several basic options for small to mid-size businesses and non-profits.
On the PC side...
1. Stay with Windows 2000 and/or Windows XP SP2 and take your chances on security threats and application compatibility. This could leave your PC and network systems open to security threats, so we don't recommend it. We're pretty sure that every hacker from California to Hong Kong is out there now working on new ways to attack and commandeer your Windows 2000 and XP Pro SP2 systems.
2. Upgrade your PCs to Windows XP SP3. Test your hardware and application software thoroughly with Windows XP SP3. Document, address, and resolve any problems on the test PCs. This may involve some back & forth with vendors depending on what application and utility software you're running. When you're ready, upgrade your PCs to Windows XP SP3. We recommend this for smaller (<= 50 users) organizations that aren't in a position to migrate to Windows 7 in the short run, and larger organizations that need more time to strategize and plan their Windows 7 migrations.
3. Strategize, plan, and migrate to Windows 7. We recommend this for smaller organizations who are not standardized on Windows XP SP3 but have the resources and motivation to make the jump to Windows 7. We also recommend this for larger organizations who are in a position to take a phased approach to Windows 7 migration.
Here is a related article from Softpedia which you may find informative.
On the Server side...
1. Stay with Windows 2000 and take your chances on security threats and application compatibility. This could leave your server(s) and network systems open to security threats, so we don't recommend it. Again - every hacker from California to Hong Kong...
2. Upgrade your servers to Windows Server 2008 R2. Test your hardware and application software thoroughly with Windows Server 2008 R2. Document, address, and resolve any problems on the test server. This may involve some back & forth with vendors depending on what application and utility software you're running. When you're ready, upgrade your servers to Windows Server 2008 R2. We recommend this for any size organization. Also consider server virtualization to get the most out of your IT investment.
Here is a related article from Microsoft.com which you may find informative.
Need help or more info? Call us at 1-877-316-836 or click here to inquire online.
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