Microsoft SQL Server 2008 (End Of Support)

Are You Prepared For The End of Life for SQL 2008?

On July 9, 2019, all SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 database support comes to an end, so what does that mean for your organization? There are lots of ramifications when any technology product reaches the end of its life. With the proliferation of hacking and cyber theft, you could put all your IT assets at risk. Below we discuss a few of the hazards of using products like servers and software that no longer get regular updates.

What Are The Dangers of Waiting to Upgrade?

The SQL Server 2008 was released in the mid-2000’s and featured better security, a clean design, and faster speeds. Clients all over the U.S. including Chicago installed this server and have continued to use it with very few problems. But all good things must come to an end. Now it’s time to phase out the SQL Server 2008 and the 2008 R2 and get ready to upgrade.

Is It Best To Switch Now?

The short answer is Yes! Those who wait may find it harder to get professional IT people to come in and help them install new servers. This is a whole process in itself and it’s an intricate procedure that must be done right to avoid conflicts with other equipment. As these machines near end-of-life support, important security updates may not be available. You’ve invested a lot of time and money in your IT infrastructure so why put it at risk?

How Will Compliance Be Affected?

For law firms in Chicago and other businesses that must adhere to regulations, you could be vulnerable to a number of data breaches including zero-day exploits.

In this age where cybercrime is on the rise, it has become increasingly important to ensure protection of data. The data base of any law firm contains personal information that could be embarrassing to clients if made public. Release of such information would expose the person responsible to liability for breach of confidentiality. No one will forget how embarrassed Sony execs were when their personal emails were made public for the whole world to read.

And identity theft is on the rise. These crimes can have undesirable affects on any organization, the individual, and the economy. It is imperative that appropriate measures be taken to ensure data protection. There are just too many malware and ransomware viruses floating around the internet these days. No one is safe. That makes compliance even more important.

If you process credit-card transactions, you may not meet PCI-DSS standards if you continue to use out of date servers. This could result in penalties and fines.

Increased IT Maintenance Costs

For any software or IT equipment that has reached its end of life, managed IT service providers will charge more for maintenance. Older equipment will no longer get regular patches and security updates and that makes it more risky to use and harder to work on. Since the element of risk is higher, the maintenance costs are increased.

What About Data Loss?

Once end of life for SQL 2008 or 2008 R2 comes, users could run into problems like unresolvable outages. This could result in poor productivity and lost data. Downtime costs money. When your servers are not operating at optimal levels, you risk different types of issues from data loss to security problems.

How The Upgrade Process Works

Upgrading servers requires a bit of planning so that your current IT environment is not affected. This includes software and hardware. We begin by making a list of all IT assets. Next, we will take steps to make sure that everything is compatible. An important component is also making sure that security protocols are in place throughout the changeover.

We will meet with your leadership and explain the process so your staff will know what to expect during the upgrade process. Good planning is an important part of the process. Our team will develop a plan to migrate your data over to the new system that reduces downtime and inconvenience to your business operations.

Throughout the procedure, we maintain good communications with your in-house IT staff and your managers so they’ll know what to expect. We believe the upgrade will go smoothly because we’ve taken all the right steps to ensure a successful upgrade. You’ll get a thorough report of how this process went and any issues we found.

After the upgrade, you’ll quickly notice improvements in overall performance. The newer equipment will be more reliable and it’s easier to protect from common causes of outage. Your cyber security will be improved and your system will be easier to recover in case of a disaster. You can also expect regular patches and updates. These will further improve performance.

Ready To Upgrade Your SQL Server 2008?

When you’re ready to upgrade, contact Outsource IT Solutions. With years of experience in this industry, we can eliminate many of the common problems that occur with upgrades of this type. We work to make the process seamless and avoid downtime for your staff. Integrating your other IT assets won’t be a problem.

Contact us to set up a no-obligation consultation where we come out to your office and answer all your questions.

In the meantime, visit our Blog to stay up-to-date on everything happening in the world of IT. Here are some examples of what you’ll find:

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