Microsoft has announced the end-of support for Windows XP by 2014. However, now several competitors including Google have come forward to extend the support for their products that run on the aged operating system. Now, Mozilla has also announced about providing support for the 12-year-old platform after Microsoft stops it this year.
Mozilla is one of them. The main reason cited by the Mozilla support for them extending services, is that even after the release of modern operating systems, Windows XP still remains the most popular among Windows the OS versions. According to Johnathan Nightingale, the company is said to have no plans to discontinue support for XP. Interestingly, another major software firm, Opera, has also declared they’ll be providing support, after Microsoft pulls out. Google has assured to release regular updates and security patches for Windows XP until April 2015. However, while contacted the technicians at Mozilla support did not mention about the kind of service they would offer to the XP users. Still, what Microsoft saw as a strategy to promote Windows 8 and 8.1 may be looking to backfire.
According to the recent reports by NetMarketShare, Windows XP and Windows 7 remain the most preferred versions by the Windows users. As compared to these, Windows 8 and 8.1 lag far behind and can be termed as a failure. The interesting fact is that most of the IT firms prefer XP over newer versions, owing to its simple and advanced features. With Microsoft ending support, the only option available for these organizations was to upgrade their systems. However, now, with companies like Google, Mozilla and Opera extending their services, XP users can breathe better. Microsoft has already advised them to switch over to the latest versions to avoid issues regarding security threats. It is a fact that once Microsoft stops providing service to XP, the operating system would become an easy target for hackers across the globe. It would be easy to exploit the vulnerabilities of the operating system once it has no protection from Microsoft. But Google has offered several updates that would keep the operating system safe from security issues. With such options available, XP users would only stick on to their favorite OS instead of opting for an upgrade.
Such announcements from its competitors would definitely force Microsoft to take preventive measures in order to regain supremacy. But how far the software giant would be successful at this is to be seen.
Mozilla is one of them. The main reason cited by the Mozilla support for them extending services, is that even after the release of modern operating systems, Windows XP still remains the most popular among Windows the OS versions. According to Johnathan Nightingale, the company is said to have no plans to discontinue support for XP. Interestingly, another major software firm, Opera, has also declared they’ll be providing support, after Microsoft pulls out. Google has assured to release regular updates and security patches for Windows XP until April 2015. However, while contacted the technicians at Mozilla support did not mention about the kind of service they would offer to the XP users. Still, what Microsoft saw as a strategy to promote Windows 8 and 8.1 may be looking to backfire.
According to the recent reports by NetMarketShare, Windows XP and Windows 7 remain the most preferred versions by the Windows users. As compared to these, Windows 8 and 8.1 lag far behind and can be termed as a failure. The interesting fact is that most of the IT firms prefer XP over newer versions, owing to its simple and advanced features. With Microsoft ending support, the only option available for these organizations was to upgrade their systems. However, now, with companies like Google, Mozilla and Opera extending their services, XP users can breathe better. Microsoft has already advised them to switch over to the latest versions to avoid issues regarding security threats. It is a fact that once Microsoft stops providing service to XP, the operating system would become an easy target for hackers across the globe. It would be easy to exploit the vulnerabilities of the operating system once it has no protection from Microsoft. But Google has offered several updates that would keep the operating system safe from security issues. With such options available, XP users would only stick on to their favorite OS instead of opting for an upgrade.
Such announcements from its competitors would definitely force Microsoft to take preventive measures in order to regain supremacy. But how far the software giant would be successful at this is to be seen.
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