Dump Windows XP and outsource

Microsoft may have at least partially relented in its drive to rid itself of the need to support Windows XP, but there are still many businesses that continue to use it, despite the inevitability of it becoming an increasing security risk.

It seems inevitable that the question: `are you still running Windows XP systems?’ will at some time become a key test asked by every customer of every firm they do business with. Perhaps only then will the penny drop for some companies.

Meantime, other vendors are starting to target business tasks that XP has been commonly used for, especially where those tasks have a strong online transaction requirement.

Take, for example, the call from outsourcer, Parseq, which is looking to help such protect themselves from data theft and payroll disruption by outsourcing electronic BACS payments. It is offering to make payments on their behalf using its own secure operating system.

It is estimated one in five PCs worldwide run Windows XP, and many of them are still functioning in frontline - online – business roles. Yet they are now increasingly vulnerable to cyber-attacks because no more security patches will be released, meaning that any new vulnerabilities will be open to attack.

This raises the spectre of personal and corporate data theft and disruption to payments for businesses going online to send electronic BACS transfers to staff, suppliers and HMRC.

According to Paul Barrett, Business Development Director at Parseq, some banks and government departments are paying Microsoft millions of pounds to extend support and manage their migration to a new operating system securely.

“Many smaller organisations can’t afford to upgrade but also cannot accept the risk of security breaches. We are offering to remove the danger by handling payment activities using our own submission and payment generation software.

“It means businesses can sidestep the costs of software ownership and maintenance, and avoid the need to upgrade their OS until they are ready.”