United Kingdom, Jan 11, 2023
Windows Server 2008 R2 reached the end of its Extended Security Update (ESU) on January 10, 2023, meaning Microsoft will no longer provide security updates or technical support for the operating system.
The end of support for Windows Server 2008 R2 should be seen as a significant event for organisations still using the operating system, as it means that any vulnerabilities discovered after this date will no longer be patched by Microsoft. This puts the security of your organisation at risk and could leave your business vulnerable to cyberattacks, which is never a good thing.
Discover your options
One of the most important things that organisations can do to mitigate these risks is to update their servers to a more recent version of Windows Server or migrate to cloud-based services like Azure or the Azure Stack Family. These platforms will continue to receive security updates and support for an additional year, which will help keep your organisation secure and minimise any impact if there are workload constraints that have an impact on an upgrade. Additionally, migrating to a more recent version of Windows Server or to a cloud platform will provide your organisation with access to new features and capabilities that can help you improve performance and reduce costs for your workloads.
If you are still running Windows Server 2008 R2, it is highly recommended that you take the time to assess your current infrastructure and identify any systems that are still running the operating system. Once you have identified these systems, you should work to create a migration plan that will allow you to move to a newer version of Windows Server or to a cloud platform as soon as possible. It is also important to note that if you are still using Server 2008 R2, you may be missing out on newer features and security enhancements that have been added to more recent versions of Windows Server, and this may impact any compliance issues if your industry or region requires that your systems are updated to the latest versions with the most recent security updates. This can cause a risk for any company as it can lead to fine or penalties.
Logicalis can help
As a highly accredited Microsoft partner, our Logicalis Advisory Services can help with both the identification and migration plans for such workloads, working with your organisation to understand the best approach given the overall digital strategy of the business and the desired outcomes for the workload. We have a wide range of experience with migrating systems to newer versions of Windows Server or to the cloud, planning the migration and execution whilst minimising risk of disruption to your business.
To summarise, the end of extended support for Windows Server 2008 R2 is a serious event that requires immediate attention. Organisations using the operating system must take action to update their systems to a more recent version of Windows Server or migrate to the cloud as soon as possible to ensure that they can continue to operate securely and efficiently. It is highly recommended to have a migration plan in place to ensure that your organisation can continue to operate securely and efficiently, so please get in touch with Logicalis for support and advice.