Half of IT pros plan to use Windows XP after support ends in 2014

ALMOST 80 PERCENT of IT professionals are still running Windows XP on at least one system, a Spiceworks report has revealed, raising security concerns as Microsoft counts down to the end of extended support for the obsolescent PC operating system (OS).

In a report entitled "Getting Over Your XP", Spiceworks revealed that 76 percent of IT professionals haven't upgraded all of their systems from Windows XP to a later version of Windows yet, and nearly half admitted that they will leave the 2002 OS on at least one system past its end of support, which due in less than four months on 8 April, 2014.

Microsoft warned organisations to upgrade their systems in April 2012 when it announced the two year countdown to the end of support for Windows XP and Microsoft Office 2003, saying that "the technology environment has shifted" and that those leaving the migration to the last minute might find it difficult to accomplish in time.

In April, software specialist 1E marked the one year countdown to the end of Windows XP support by reporting that less than a quarter of UK companies had completed the migration of their PC estate to a newer version of Windows, with 40 percent still "in the process of upgrading".

Those that don't upgrade can expect to be faced with the threat of increasing security concerns, as Windows XP continues to be one of the most targeted operating systems by malware and hacking exploits.

Perhaps tellingly, Spiceworks' report also said that those IT managers who are still running Windows XP aren't keen on upgrading to the latest version of Microsoft's OS, Windows 8, but instead plan to upgrade "at least some" of their systems to Windows 7. According to the report, only seven percent of IT professionals plan to upgrade to Windows 8 or Windows 8.1. µ

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