Updated on February 21, 2014
Windows XP and Office 2003, your time is up! For all the readers that are still using Windows XP, you need to know about this date: April 8, 2014. On that day Windows XP and Office 2003 will no longer be a supported platform by Microsoft. This means no more critical security patches, software updates for Windows XP. This could potentially affect your business in several different ways.
There are new computer threats that arise every year and Microsoft has been constantly on the clock to patch up their software against the latest threats. Once Windows XP support is gone, your computer could be susceptible to new methods of computer intrusions, backdoors, viruses, etc. Your company data could be at risk of being under a cyber-attack.
Without updates to Windows XP and Office 2003, software and hardware vendors will drop the OS because it will not be conducive to hassle-free business. Problems may start to arise between the vendors and consumers and without support from Microsoft; the vendors are left to fend for themselves. It is not a productive use of time for the company.
It might be time to begin looking into other operating systems and office programs that will still be supported by Microsoft for time to come such as Windows 7 and/or Microsoft Office 2010.