Software that has reached its end of support could be putting your business at risk of cyberattacks, and falling foul of regulators - it could also be preventing your business from competing effectively in today’s modern economy. This is why there’s no better time to adopt Microsoft 365 - a secure, affordable productivity solution, designed to meet the needs of today’s distributed workforces, and catapult your business into a successful and secure future.
In today's digital-first world, software is critical to business operations and plays a key role in keeping organisations running smoothly, enabling remote workforces, and helping organisations stay secure and compliant. However, all software has a lifespan and eventually reaches its End of Support (EOS) stage.
Managing the EOS of software is crucial for several reasons, ranging from security risks to performance optimisation and ensuring regulatory compliance. The potential consequences of neglecting EOS could be catastrophic for your business.
A sitting duck for attackers
Unexpected failures
What does Microsoft Office 2013 EOS mean for your business
Future-proofing the organisation
The pace of technological change
Facilitating collaboration
Robust security
No nasty surprises
For one, when EOS happens, you’ll no longer receive security patches or updates. This leaves the door wide open to attackers exploiting vulnerabilities in outdated software, and no entity can afford to fall victim to a data breach.
Similarly, if your business operates in any industry that handles confidential customer data, and even more so in highly regulated sectors such as healthcare or financial services, compliance is non-negotiable.
No company can afford millions of rands in fines should they be found to be non-compliant. Unfortunately, if your business is still using software that is no longer supported, it is a sitting duck, and non-compliance is really only a matter of time.
Business operations cannot happen without software, and any disruption to them has a negative impact on productivity, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. If you ignore EOS for software, you increase the chance of unexpected failures, system crashes, and software incompatibility, which can lead to downtime and lost revenue.
This could be extremely tricky to explain to the board, particularly as it is so utterly preventable. On the other hand, by proactively managing EOS, businesses can reduce the risk of disruptions, and ensure business continuity.
Microsoft Office 2013 is an excellent example of this, as it reached its EOS on 11 April 2023. The ramifications for organisations could be serious, because the software giant will no longer provide technical support, bug fixes, or security fixes for vulnerabilities in the software which may be reported or discovered in the future. This includes security updates that can help protect businesses’ PC from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malware.
Furthermore, businesses will no longer receive Microsoft Office 2013 software updates from Microsoft Update, phone or chat technical support, and no further updates to support content will be given, and the majority of online help content will be retired.
Finally, companies will no longer be able to download Microsoft Office 2013 from the Microsoft website, and while Microsoft Office 2013 apps will continue to function, entities using this software could expose themselves to major security risks.
Managing the EOS effectively takes proactive planning and evaluation of alternative solutions. It also presents a real opportunity for you to assess your software needs, explore new technologies, and reimagine your business.
It’s important to remember that our world has changed for good, and to keep up with the needs of hybrid workforces, you need simple, secure solutions that can help transform your business and get things done from anywhere.
It doesn’t matter if your company is adapting to remote work, exploring different business models, adopting a hybrid approach, or trying new ways to serve its customers, Microsoft 365 can help it reach its goals.
Microsoft 365 isn’t just another collaboration tools, it is jam packed with all features and apps that users have come to expect, such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, but it is also an indispensable productivity cloud designed to empower your people to take your business to the next level.
Included are a comprehensive suite of top-tier Microsoft Office applications, cloud-based tools, device management features, and advanced security to keep your data safe and secure.
Let’s face it, during the ongoing lockdowns, the businesses that thrived were the ones who were already well along in their cloud journeys and could pivot easily to remote work. For others, it was a mad scramble, and for some, doors were permanently closed.
No business can afford to think this might never happen again, and becoming future-proof and ready for anything is key to business survival. Remote collaboration became essential during these times, and in today’s hybrid work environment, remains as critical as ever.
Look at Microsoft Teams, which has been a crucial supporter of remote work, and has enabled workforces in every industry to communicate with each other intelligently through video conferencing, seamless file sharing, and a range of collaboration tools. Instant and immediate contact with employees happens at the touch of a button, no matter where they are located.
Getting back to security, which we all know keeps most CIOs up at night, Microsoft 365 features a host of robust security solutions that can keep even today’s most determined adversaries at bay.
It comes with cutting-edge security tools such as two-factor authentication, which ensures that no unauthorised users are able to access private business information should a device fall into the hands of a malicious actor.
It also offers threat detection and anti-malware which halts security threats in their tracks before they become a thorn in the business’s side. These tools also ensure data compliance, preventing any awkward conversations on how a breach could have been allowed to happen.
Finally, in tough economic times, IT heads have to keep the lights on, secure the business, and promote innovation - all with budgets that are at best growing minimally, at worst, shrinking.
No CIO wants to justify an unexpected, hefty bill due to fluctuating exchange rates, or shifting cloud costs. Microsoft 365 is paid for on a per-user, per-month basis, enabling companies to scale up as needed.
The cost of an organisation’s licenses depends on the level of functionality it needs, and the different levels are made up of different applications and products, which sets the cost.
In this way, you’ll know exactly what you are in for each month and will be able to budget in advance, and more importantly, accurately, with no hidden surprises.
For any entity, the breadth of features that Microsoft 365 offers are unrivalled and is helping companies in every sector reimagine the way they work.
If you would like to know more about how Tarsus Distribution can help with your software requirements, click here.
