Phil Abrie, Technical Director at ILUX puts some context around the term and gives you some top tips to protect your organisation:
End-of-life (EOL) is a term used to describe a product or software solution that is no longer maintained or supported. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it won’t work anymore, but rather that it won’t be updated by the manufacturer.
This is where the root of the issue often lies, however.
Take for example the impending end-of-life of Microsoft Office 2013. As of 11 April 2023, Microsoft support will end for the system. This may not be a surprise to you, the organisation extended support for an additional five years after first announcing it.
If you are using this operating system it will mean several changes and is likely to cause disruption for you and your business.
“When Office 2013 reaches the End of Support security updates will stop. Office apps will continue to work, but you may be exposed to security risks. Upgrading to a supported version is highly recommended.” – Microsoft.
Microsoft updates its software regularly (usually monthly). These updates are important because not only do they include new features and bug fixes, but also security updates. Updating your operating system means you are less likely to be at risk of a cyber attack or virus infiltrating your system.
At the “end of life” for Office 2013, those updates won’t happen. Technical problems and security issues are almost inevitable.
It’s not that the software won’t work on 12 April onwards, but because it’s not supported, any technical problems and security issues are far more likely to occur, leaving your IT infrastructure exposed.
What should I do?
Whilst there is no one size fits all, we would recommend that if your business IT model allows; you switch to Microsoft 365.
This gives you all the standard applications you need including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook and can also include Microsoft Teams, a secure email Exchange, and cloud storage. It operates on a subscription based model, so you are eligible for updates for life, and will never have to go through a large Microsoft software upgrade again!
Can we help? If you need some advice about what equipment is nearing it's end of life, please get in touch and we will be in touch to talk you through the changes you need to make and how we can support you.
https://ilux.co.uk/contact/
