XP Support Deal Expected As Public Sector Fails To Prepare

According to a UK channel publication, IT giant Microsoft is negotiating an XP support deal for public sector bodies with the Crown Commercial Service (CCS).

Support for the company’s 2010 released OS will be ending in just over a week on April 8th, but despite this, press reports reveal that the majority of the public sector is still using XP.

However, the public sector may have been offered a lifeline, as a freedom of information (FOI) request has revealed that CCS is negotiating a one-year minimum deal with Microsoft to continue providing support.

An email that was sent to various public services claims that they will have the chance to buy extended XP support and therefore must not arrange their own support deals.

After security updates are discontinued, PCs still running the OS may be at increased risk from hackers and other cyber attacks. The firm announced the April 2014 deadline in 2012, meaning organisations have had two years to prepare.

Although many public sector organisations hold sensitive information and therefore continued security is an essential, various reports and research make it clear that much of the sector has failed to prepare itself for the end of support date.

Last month, the NHS had to directly negotiate a deal with Microsoft to provide further support – an agreement that looks set to be expensive for the taxpayer.

Besides the NHS and local authorities, the Met Police has also admitted that thousands of its devices will still be running XP after April 8^th. Reports indicate this is another organisation negotiating an expensive deal with the firm.

The lack of preparation carries over onto the private sector and beyond, as data reveals that XP is still more popular than Microsoft’s most recent OS offering, Windows 8.

© 24N.biz