So I am sure by now you’re tired of seeing blog posts – and scare tactics – created by Microsoft evangelists about Windows Server 2003 .  I understand – but if so many companies weren’t still running these servers and holding onto them for dear life, bloggers like me could move on already. Honestly, when there are only 30 days until all support ends, it’s no joke if you haven’t even begun your migration away from 2003. As of June 14, there will be exactly thirty days until Microsoft pulls the plug. Over, finished, done. Regular support has been finished for a while now, but now paid extended support will also fall by the wayside. The minute that happens, you will be officially on your own with regard to this venerable platform. 

Windows Server 2003 has served us well: Following its launch on April 14, 2003, users started enjoying its expanded networking capabilities, improved interoperability with other services (notably Active Directory), and greatly enhanced security. Countless companies worldwide have leveraged Server 2003 to build their information handling capabilities – not to mention their businesses. But all good things come to an end – and its twelve-year run has made Server 2003 effectively a stone-age relic at this point. 

Not to say “I told you so,” but I brought this up a few months back in a previous blog post. As I said here, this is a big, big deal: companies got quite comfortable with Server 2003, and (understandably) became reluctant to move away from something so familiar and reliable before they had to. Most companies have moved on, of course – but a surprising number haven’t, and chances are most of them are panicking at this point. So unless you’re going to let out your “Rebel Yell” and “Rage Against the Machine” in order to keep that 2003 server sacred, it’s time—actually past time—to move on. 

It’s not as if those servers will suddenly screech to a stop as of midnight on July 14^th, but you can reliably guess that things are going to get problematic pretty quickly thereafter. There were more than thirty critical security updates to Server 2003 alone in the past year – updates that transparently and effectively saved companies using the platform from hacking, malware, data loss, data theft and countless other hazards. Once that vigilant protection comes to a close, the floodgates will open. Somebody, somewhere will  find vulnerabilities – and exploit them. 

So, if you’re still on Windows 2003, consider this your belated wake-up call. You’ve got to act, and act fast. Of course, Red Level is here to help if you need us.

 Thirty days.

 Good luck.