Is This the Beginning of the End for Windows XP?

Windows giant Microsoft has said it will provide support to one of its most popular operating system Windows XP for another 1,000 days, or three years.

The Redmond-based company said that the countdown to the end for Windows XP had started on Monday, and after the offered 1,000 days it will not provide any kind of support to the old operating system. Microsoft wants its users to upgrade their systems to Windows 7.

“Windows XP had an amazing run, and millions of PC users are grateful for it. But it’s time to move on,” said Stephen Rose, Microsoft’s senior community manager. “Two reasons: 1) Extended support for Windows XP is running out in less than 1,000 days, and 2) there’s an OS out there that’s much better than Windows XP.”

According to the countdown, Windows XP will be gone for good in early 2014 and the users who will still run the operating system will not receive any kind of support or patches from the company. The users will also be issued a notice to shift to Windows 7 to get further upgrades from the company.

“On April 8, 2014, security patches and hotfixes for all versions of Windows XP will no longer be available. So bottom line, PC’s running Windows XP will be vulnerable to security threats,” Rose added. “Furthermore, many third party software providers are not planning to extend support for their applications running on Windows XP, which translates to even more complexity, security risks, and ultimately, added management costs for your IT department if you’re still managing Windows XP environments.”

The senior community manager, in Microsoft’s official blog, has assured that Windows 7 will be a great alternative to XP, which has been developed with powerfully enhanced tools with guidance at every step. World’s most prominent companies like Boeing, InfoSys, Dell, Purdue University, Samsung, Royal Mail Group, and BMW are now profiting from the cost-savings, security, and productivity gains that Windows 7 delivers.

Windows XP is one of the most popular operating systems on the planet, and numerous business organizations worldwide still depend on it.