Half of Businesses Still Running Unsupported Windows XP

Software

More than half of businesses have adopted Windows 10; Windows XP still widely installed despite end of support

More than half of businesses worldwide are still running Windows XP – and nearly ten percent are running Windows Vista.

Research by Spiceworks reveals that despite many organisations upgrading their PCs to newer operating systems like Windows 10, some are still running outdated systems that can leave their corporate networks more vulnerable to security threats, with support for Windows XP ending in April  2014, and support for Windows Vista ending on April 11, 2017.

“Windows Vista isn’t nearly as common in business as Windows XP, but the approaching Vista end of support date serves as a good reminder to upgrade PCs still running unsupported operating systems,” said Peter Tsai, senior technology analyst at Spiceworks. “Although some IT departments aren’t able to upgrade on time due to a lack of time or budget, it’s critical for IT professionals to make a business case for more resources, given the security risks of running operating systems with unpatched vulnerabilities.”

Windows 7 remains most common operating system in business

According to Spiceworks network data, Windows XP (52 percent) and Windows Vista (nine percent) penetration rates, defined as the percent of companies running one or more instance, are still relatively high. However, their overall share within the business environment is much lower. The data shows Windows XP is running on 14 percent of all PCs in businesses worldwide, while Windows Vista is only running on one percent. By contrast, Windows 7 has the highest share, running on 69 percent of business PCs. Windows 10 currently has nine percent of the overall share, followed by Windows 8 at five percent.

More than half of businesses worldwide have adopted Windows 10

In addition to having the highest share, Windows 7 also has the highest penetration rate in organisations at 87 percent. However, Spiceworks network data shows Windows 10 adoption is catching up and recently surpassed Windows 8 and Windows XP penetration rates.

In fact, as Windows 10’s two-year anniversary approaches on July 29, 2017, the data shows 54 percent of businesses across the globe have adopted the operating system, which increased from 38 percent since July 2016. According to a separate Spiceworks survey, Windows 10 is expected to have an adoption rate of 73 percent and an overall operating system share of 17 percent in businesses by its two-year anniversary at the end of July 2017.

IT pros worry about security risks of running unsupported operating systems

When examining why some businesses are slower to upgrade to newer operating systems like Windows 10, IT professionals have cited no immediate need, lack of time, and budget constraints as the top reasons. However, nearly 90 percent of IT professionals are concerned about the risks of running unsupported operating systems, such as Windows XP and Windows Vista. In a survey of more than 450 IT professionals, 68 percent said they’re concerned about the end of security patches and bug fixes.

Windows XP

Additionally, 45 percent of IT professionals believe unsupported operating systems are more vulnerable to cyberattacks while 43 percent believe they’re more susceptible to malware. Thirty-four percent are also concerned sensitive corporate data will be more at risk when using an unsupported operating system.

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