Windows XP is gone!... or is it? I am screwed?!?

is Windows XP really gone?

well it is, but it's not. Most sources claim 17% of computers still use XP, probably it is more. The real question would be: "how many of these computers really pose any type of risk in still running XP?" Whatever the answer is, in my opinion, it is not relevant.

One thing is certain, large corporations do have the means of upgrading their systems; many have done so already, the others will follow when it will become essential.

When will it become essential? When the first productivity application stops working after an upgrade. Whoever is in charge of making the decision (basically funding an upgrade campaign) will eventually have to face the truth and sign-off for the cost.

what about SMEs?

But what about smaller companies that may struggle to fund new hardware and software?

Especially because the XP machine itself may be able to support Windows 7 or 8 if well configured and is probably working away fine but most probably there will be no compatible drivers for one component or the other. Basically, if you have an XP machine, no matter how good it is or how new it is, there is a 99% chance that an OS upgrade will also require a machine upgrade. And that is true for most Windows servers too.

This means that upgrading from XP implies changing hardware (in almost every occasion) resulting in much higher costs. In addition, most software working on Windows 7.8 and 10 is not supported on XP or would not run, hence, you'll need to get the latest version and (most probably) pay an additional software license.

So basically, upgrading from XP has a series of cascading events:

1. Upgrade XP to W7, 8 or 10 implies:
     2. upgrade the machine (most probably buy a new one)
     3. upgrade most legacy software to latest versions (compatible with W7, 8 or 10)
     4. train user on new OS and new version of applications

Each step has a cost attached; upgrading one single machine could cost as much as 2-3k with all included. Even a small company today would probably have 4/6 computers so the costs could stack up very quickly.

so... I am screwed?

Well, that depends. Do you have the money to upgrade? If you do there is no problem for you, but I'd keep on reading anyway...

Are you ready for a paradigm shift? Are you ready for a mind-set change?
If you are not then you are... haem..,.. screwed, but if you are, then your solution is the cloud.

Upgrading to the cloud means you don’t have to buy any servers and worry about licenses, back-ups and so on. It means you need almost no infrastructure; however the shift in technology requires a shift in mentality. For example, employees still require devices to access the cloud, but these devices do not need to have much power as computer power and resources required are provided by the cloud. Furthermore, most cloud services are scalable, meaning you will only pay for your usage.

So you can buy cheap Android tablets for your sales representatives, or even ask them to use their own. You can get cheap computers for employees in the office or just work stations and use only tablets. Good and reliable employees can work from home when and if required, using their own home PC/Laptop.

I understand it's not as easy as it sounds for many, but believe me, that is because of the paradigm shift required.  Many new start-up companies founded by young committed people have embraced the cloud and in many cases they don't even have offices - every employee works from home, with their own devices and internet connections.

is the cloud really the future? do I have any choice?

Well, it really looks like the cloud is the future. The main concern people have with the cloud is the security of their data, but this issue can be dismissed very quickly. If you are in the B2B or B2C market today and you want a successful business you must have a strong image on-line, probably an on-line shopping or ordering platform and you certainly allow customers to pay on-line. So, whatever system you are using, your data (products, prices, customer info and so on) is already public. Is it secure? Well that depends on where it is. Is it more secure in the cloud? Yes, most probably. Cloud providers are big entities (AMAZON, Microsoft, Google), they have very strong security mechanisms. However, cloud security is a big topic and would require an entire post in itself, and probably a web security expert writing it.

The point is that security is not a real issue on the cloud. The concern over cloud security has more to do with the "inertia" holding us back during paradigm shifts.

Most people already have their life on the cloud via social media, and many companies already have their systems on a cloud along with some amount of their data (note that big corporations as bank or insurance companies always had their own private cloud infrastructure).

Maybe the answer to the questions: "is the cloud really the future?" is: no, it is the present; and: "do I have any choice?" is: no, one way or another you are already moving to the cloud.

so what?

Like for so many things in life that just happen, whether you like it or not, the best approach is to start your research and start to plan ahead so that you will understand how your business could benefit from this change, that will impact us all, sooner or later.

Changes seldom carry a sign (+/-), most of the time is how we react (or better how we lack to react) that puts a sign on the result.



Please, feel free to comment and share!
;p)