Much has been made of the extensive changes that Microsoft has revealed around the aesthetics and performance of Windows 8, as well as the possible effects these changes will have on organisations that choose to migrate. However, with the birth of Windows 8, comes the death of Windows XP and enterprises still using the fated Operating System need to consider their migration plan as soon as possible.

Mark Sutherland, president at IT Systems Management expert, Kaseya, has made the following comments:

Considering its departure from the traditional Microsoft enterprise look and feel, as well as the fresh focus on support for the BYOD trend, Windows 8 will undoubtedly have a huge impact on businesses and their IT policies and procedures. However, a much less conversed topic has been the cessation of support for Microsoft Windows XP, arguably the more important news for organisations and – critically – their IT teams.

A vast proportion of businesses are still running on XP, having failed to transition with the release of Windows 7. With just under two years of support left for the 10 year old system, thought immediately needs to be given to life after XP. Whether these companies want to move to Windows 8 or begin with Windows 7, some form of transition will be necessary.

Migrating Operating Systems is a lengthy process, for any organisation of any size, and in order to minimise disruption to the daily operations of a business, IT teams should be given as much time as possible to prepare. A well-thought out and structured plan must be implemented soon if migration is to take place smoothly.

Due to the age of Windows XP and the industry’s technological advancements during the last 10 years, organisations are likely to run into a number of difficulties when migrating. By automating as much of the process as possible, some of the burden on the IT department can be eased. This will allow them to focus more time on the strategic elements of implementing a new Operating System and work smarter, not harder. Whichever Operating System enterprises choose to run, action needs to be taken now to avoid last minute panic.