Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 Extended Support will end on October 10, 2023. What this means is that support for this older version, including monitoring, updates and security patches to protect from viruses or malware, will come to an end. This creates a significant security risk for those that don’t upgrade in time. 

If your business currently uses Windows Server 2012 you’re running out of time to migrate to the latest version of Windows Server 2019 and move to the cloud. This will ensure you’re fully supported and will ensure your business doesn’t become vulnerable. 

So, what do you need to consider? 

Make a plan 

When establishing your IT strategy, it's a good idea to integrate life cycle planning into the process which accounts for when your technology will reach its end of life date and will need to be replaced. Microsoft is transparent about these dates to enable you to conduct long-term planning. 

If your business hasn’t included upgrading Windows Server 2012 in your plan, now is the time to create a plan. It’s a good time to start planning for the long-term. If you’re upgrading to Windows Server 2019, you should already be establishing a life cycle plan for it. This will ensure you won’t get caught out again and can properly prepare your resources and budget. 

Set a budget 

Once you have a plan in place, it makes it much easier to establish an accurate budget. You’ll be able to predict when the company will need the cash to replace the current system. This will create less budgetary pressures down the track caused by short-term fixes, security risk mitigation or downtime. 

Consider the cloud 

If you’re due to upgrade from Windows Server 2012, moving to Azure on the cloud is a great option. Azure offers native support for SQL, .NET, Remote Desktop Services and other Windows Server workloads. There are more than 200 services and capabilities – such as Azure Automanage, Windows Admin Centre in Azure, Azure Arc–enabled servers and Azure App Service – available on Azure.

Moving to Azure is also more cost effective and enables you to extend on-premises environments to Azure with seamless hybrid capabilities while protecting your workloads and modernising your security operations. 

IT&T can lead your migration to Azure and the latest release of Windows Server. Contact us today about how to get started.