Redmond announced, a couple of days ago, that it plans on sticking with its April 8, 2014 deadline for pulling the plug off of Windows XP. Microsoft aims to stop releasing updates for the old OS after this date.
Along with announcements and interviews, Microsoft has been actively running campaigns to move users away from the aging operating system, which it believes has more than overstayed its welcome.
Windows 7 and (more preferably) Windows 8 is where the company’s attention is at.
And with the Windows XP countdown entering into the final year, Dustin Childs, the group manager of Response Communications, Microsoft Trustworthy Computing has become one busy individual. In a new statement, the executive emphasizes that the dominion of Windows XP has to come to an end:
“Windows XP leaving support doesn’t mean bad guys will stop trying to exploit it; however, the absence of new security updates will make it easier for attacks to succeed. We talk a lot about mitigating risks through our security updates, and with Windows XP retiring, the best mitigation will be to upgrade to a modern Windows operating system.”
Childs, however, admits that Windows XP is indeed a very popular operating system, but everything that has a beginning has an end. And Microsoft, as a company, wants this one to end in the next 12 months:
“Windows XP keeps chugging along. With its longevity and wide user base, Windows XP has served its customers faithfully over the years, but all good things must come to an end, and Windows XP is no exception.”
No exception, indeed — hard to suggest otherwise.
Microsoft will quite obviously intensify its push to rid the world (business world, in particular) of Windows XP, and use this opportunity to pitch Windows 8 to users. More so now that we are nearing the debut of the first major update to the new platform, codename Windows Blue.
