5 Reasons to upgrade your Server

Windows Server 2003 was fantastic. Its reliability, easy deployment and regular updates made it a favourite for small and medium businesses across the globe. But that was in the past and all small businesses know that change is necessary to achieve success in this fast-paced UK market. Windows Server 2003 and Windows Small Business Server 2003 will reach their end of support on July 14th, 2015 consistent with our product life-cycle policy.

That means your business could be at risk if you are running your business on an old server. With no security patches, no hotfixes and possible compliance issues, you could open your business to potential security threats.
Here are some...

1 / NO UPDATES OR PATCHES

FACT 1:
37 critical updates were released
for Windows Server 2003 in 2013

FACT 2:
End of support means just that – Microsoft will no longer provide standard product support for Windows Server 2003 as of 14th July 2015!

2 / THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY IS MORE SECURE

FACT 3:
As with any unsupported product, malicious parties are likely to continue to attack that product, which may leave your company open to cyber-attacks and exploitation from third parties

FACT 4:
Windows Server 2012 is supported by a
dedicated support team

3 / CHECK YOUR COMPLIANCE

FACT 6:
Auditors often check whether a company is running supported software in order to give cleared audits and may fail companies that do not transition from unsupported software such as Windows Server 2003

FACT 6:
Payment processors may not transact with you if your payments are going through an unsupported server Payment not processed

4 / HIGHER COSTS

FACT 7:
It is likely to be more expensive to
maintain older hardware and
unsupported software Obsolete hardware and software

FACT 8:
Security breaches may become more likely, with each small firm’s worst annual breach costing an average of £65k to £115k Expensive breaches

5 / #ACHIEVEMORE WITH WINDOWS SERVER 2012

FACT 9:
Windows Server 2012’s fantastic cloud functionality has been designed to meet the needs of modern SMBs – meaning an upgrade makes sense for both your staff and your bottom line

FACT 10:
Windows Server 2012 has simple and reliable backup to Microsoft Azure, giving you greater peace of mind that your data is there for you when you need it

Move your business to a modern server OS before end of support. Microsoft has a number of industry-leading alternatives to Server 2003.

As for your upgrade options? That depends on what you are looking for:

Servers Direct recommends Windows Server 2012 R2. Visit us at Unit A, Trident Business Park, Leeds Road, Huddersfield HD2 1UA