[German]Microsoft has just announced a kind of extension of the Extended Security Update Program (ESU) for Windows 7 SP1 for small and medium businesses (SMBs).
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Windows 7: End of Life at January 14, 2020
Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008/R2 will reach their planned End of Life (EOL) at the beginning of 2020. On January 14, 2020, Microsoft expects to distribute the latest security updates for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008/R2 to all users. This means that by February 2020 you will be on the safer side when it comes to providing security updates.
This end date has been known for 10 years, since the release of Windows 7. I had mention that within the blog post Windows 7: Support ends in 6 months. What happens afterwards is still a little unclear. Because on the one hand there are still many Windows 7 systems in users – and some users find it difficult to switch to Windows 10.
Microsoft provides the Extended Security Update Program (ESU) for companies with Software Assurance. The systems get security updates until 2023. Contrary to earlier plans, this is even free of charge for the companies in the first year – see links at the end of the article. But small and medium companies are not covered.
Microsoft offers ESU to SMBs
In a blog postA new way for small and midsize businesses to stay secure and current Jared Spataro, Corporate Vice President for Microsoft 365, makes an offer to small and medium-sized companies (this colleague noticed it here).
Microsoft is extending the availability of paid Windows 7 Extended Security Updates (ESU) to enterprises of all sizes by January 2023. Previously, Windows 7 ESU was only available in volume licensing for Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Enterprise customers.
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The Windows 7 ESU is sold on a device basis, with the price increasing each year. Partners in the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program can visit the Microsoft Partner Center for more information. As of December 1, 2019, companies of all sizes can purchase ESU through the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program. This means that customers can work with their partners to receive security updates until the migration to a different operating system is complete.
Windows 7 users who want to take advantage of the paid advanced security updates as they become available on December 1 can learn more about them on the FAQ page. To learn more about the end of Windows 7 support and Office 365 Business, visit the Microsoft support page.
At ZDNet Mary Foley mentioned prices. The price of ESUs ranges from $25 per device for Windows Enterprise users in the first year to $100 per device in the third. For per-user users, the ESU price ranges from $50 per device in the first year to $200 per device in the third year.
In my opinion, private users can also rely on the solution hinted at in the blog post Windows 7/Server 2008/R2: 0patch delivers security patches after support ends. Let's see what happens next.
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