Microsoft

Posted by admin - January 5, 2014 3:43 pm End of Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003

An end of an era

Microsoft has announced that as from 8 April 2014 they will be withdrawing their support for both Microsoft XP SP3 and Office 2003.

You may feel unaffected by this but, if you are using either of these systems, then you need to take action as soon as possible, as after this date there will be no new security updates, non-security hot-fixes, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates.

In other words if you run Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 after the end of their end of support date you may expose your company to potential risks, such as:

  • Security & Compliance Risks – Unsupported and unpatched environments are vulnerable to security risks. This may result in an officially recognised control failure by an internal or external audit body which could ultimately lead to suspension of certifications, and/or public notification of the organisation’s inability to maintain its systems and customer information.
  • Lack of Independent Software Vendor (ISV) & Hardware Manufacturers support – In addition it is felt that many independent software vendors (ISVs) are unlikely to support new versions of applications on Windows XP and you may find that this includes any accounting software you currently use!

What you need to do

  • Get current with Windows and Office software.
  • Check that your current accounting software solution is up to date and that this will be operational under new Windows and Office Software. Note: If you are using an older accountancy software solution you may find this will not work properly once you have upgraded Windows and Office.
  • If in doubt, then why not contact a member of your local MFW team who will be able to help you on the issues of finding the right accountancy software for you, how to protect your organisation and how to become and remain compliant.