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Almost Half of Orgs Have Not Migrated from Windows XP

Roughly 45 percent of organizations have not started migrations to Windows 7 or Windows 8, according to a recent blog post by U.K.-based independent software vendor AppSense.

Windows XP's "extended support" period ends on April 8, 2014, and with it will end Microsoft's security patches for the decade-old operating system. Besides the security risks, organizations that do not migrate from XP face paying for expensive custom support agreements with Microsoft -- about $200 per device.

Microsoft Gold Partner AppSense describes itself as a provider of user virtualization solutions, and claims that its software separates out policies, preferences, settings and rights into a user layer. User "persona" and data get moved without disrupting the user experience during the migration, according to company literature. The company lays claim to being "the sole exclusive Microsoft Desktop Enablement Partner for user personalization."

XP migrations are supported by AppSense's DesktopNow user virtualization software, as well as its DataNow tool, which facilitates the migration of distributed endpoints without requiring a virtual private network.

For other XP Migration needs, AppSense works with partners. For overall assessment of the computing environment in preparation for a migration, the company works with Centrix Software and Lakeside Software. For sorting out application compatibility issues, it partners with Flexera Software.

The company has a new portal page for those considering XP migrations. It includes links to a couple of white papers on why organizations should be alarmed about the impending end of XP. Also included is a Forrester Research study that quantifies the economics of using the AppSense Management Suite.

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About the Author

Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for the 1105 Enterprise Computing Group.