Over the next few months, a number of Windows OEM operating systems will face discontinuation by Microsoft – including Windows XP, 7, 8 and 8.1. The “old” operating systems will no longer be available to purchase through Microsoft OEM channel, however an alternative version is available through Microsoft’s Embedded Program for the foreseeable future.
Most of the newer editions outlined below are the same operating system as their predecessors, the only difference tending to be the licensing terms. Unfortunately, Microsoft has levied a small price increase on the upgrade to the newer operating systems.
Many of the newer operating systems share common features with more older editions and importantly are guaranteed to be available for at least another 5 – 10 years. Take a look at the guide we’ve compiled to help you decide what destination O/S will best suit your needs.
|
Current Operating System |
Approx. Last Buy Date | New Operating System | Notes |
| Windows XP Pro For Embedded Systems | December 2016 | Windows Embedded Standard 2009 (aka WES 2009) |
Available until 2024. |
| Windows 7 Pro OEM | January 2017 | Windows 7 Pro For Embedded Systems | Available until 2024. But there will be a price increase. |
| Windows 8.1 Pro OEM | October 2016 | Windows 10 Pro OEM |
Without wishing to scare anyone into change, in our opinion it’s definitely an opportune time to review your O/S requirements and safeguard the applications important to your business. Whilst there are still stocks of the old O/S available across the channel, it is only a matter of time before supplies dwindle and change will be forced upon those who are yet to switch. It’s always better for your migration to a new operating system to occur at a pace that suits you rather than in response to something outside of your control, plus there are some valuable benefits to be enjoyed by refreshing to a newer version.
If you would like to learn more about what these discontinuations could mean for you, or else find out more about the implications of upgrading to a new Windows operating system, get in touch today.
