Advanced 365, a UK based IT management company, has warned Windows XP users to migrate to alternative operating systems before Microsoft ends its support in April 2014.
The company has highlighted that many public and charity organisations have yet to make migration plans, as they are unaware that Microsoft has withdrawn its support for the operating system.
Neil Cross, managing director at Advanced 365, said: "Many businesses will be tempted to continue to use the system after 8th April 2014, however, Microsoft will no longer be issuing security patches or updates of any kind. As a result, many businesses which decide to continue using XP may well compromise the security of their own data. This could lead to serious problems in terms of compliance with data management legislation."
The warnings follow recently published statistics by NetMarketShare, which revealed that Windows XP is running on nearly 39% of the world’s computers.
IT industry analysts IDC have estimated that the annual costs per PC, per year for Windows XP is £569.63, while a comparable Windows 7 installation costs £110.
"This is money that businesses could be investing in modernising their IT assets and ensuring employees are equipped with technologies that optimise and drive their performance," added Cross.
