A majority of companies still run Windows Server 2003, with less than four months to go before the software’s end-of-life deadline.

The survey of IT professionals by Spiceworks revealed that 61 percent of companies still run at least one instance of the technology, which will have support from Microsoft discontinued on 14 July.

While 64 percent of respondents plan to migrate from Server 2003 to Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2008 were cited by 39 percent and six percent of IT professionals respectively as paths of choice. Nine percent said they plan to migrate to Linux/CentOS.

15 percent have completed migration, while 48 percent have partially migrated. 28 percent were still in the planning stages, 8 percent have no plans to migrate at all and 22 percent are not planning to upgrade every system.

Among reasons for moving to 2012 R2, 39 percent cited software standardisation and ease of management, 37 percent said they already own Windows Server 2012 licenses, 37 percent cited features and functionality, and 36 percent are seeking additional virtualisation capabilities.

Meanwhile, among those who will keep Windows Server 2003 after July, 85 percent cited concerns with security vulnerability, 72 percent with software compatibility and 66 percent with compliance risks.

In addition, 74 percent who are either fully or partially migrated plan to move applications currently on Server 2003 to a virtualised environment.

The report also showed that on average companies were allocating £40,626 for migration-related projects.

"This migration will impact millions of IT professionals and nearly every technology segment including hardware, software, cloud, mobile and services," said Sanjay Castelino, VP of Marketing at Spiceworks.

He added: "IT professionals are taking steps to migrate prior to the end of life deadline and technology companies who can offer a clear, elegant migration path have a multi-billion dollar opportunity to help IT departments transition effectively."

The survey was conducted in January 2015 and polled over 1,300 respondents from North America, EMEA and APAC.