Windows Server 2003 End-Of-Life "Ticking Time Bomb" For UK SMEs

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 is still being run by 53 per cent of UK small and medium sized business [SMBs] despite the fact that all support will be removed this time next year.

A survey carried out by Zynstra at this year’s Cloud Industry Forum [CIF] laid bare the statistic that came from 250 senior IT or business decision makers, of which 153 were from businesses of 200 employees or less.

“Businesses can use the opportunity of infrastructure refresh to deliver better value from their IT estate.  Those with Windows 2003 server still running should act soon to ensure a smooth transition before support ends,” stated Nick East, CEO of Zynstra.

Support for Windows Server 2003 will be buried on 14 July 2015 and large numbers of organisations are already moving to a newer version of Windows Server and Microsoft Azure.

When it comes to updating the company’s software and hardware, 69 per cent of SMBs listed refreshing infrastructure as a key consideration when adopting the cloud. In terms of the type of cloud model that SMBs prefer, an impressive 75 per cent admitted to opting for a hybrid model that combines cloud services with on-premise IT.

“SMBs are clearly already favouring a hybrid approach. Our view is that 9 out of 10 companies will continue to invest in on-premise IT alongside and integrated with remote cloud solutions,” East added.

Furthermore, 86 per cent of SMBs don’t use an entirely cloud-based IT strategy and a miniscule 47 per cent are utilising just one cloud-based service, and these numbers will change significantly as we get closer to the Windows Server 2003 EOL date.