Five Reasons Why Microsoft’s Support Constraints are Good for Small Business

By mid-October 2006, Microsoft had announced the end of support for Windows XP Service Pack 1. Over the last few years, Microsoft has taken steps to abandon support for Windows9x, ME, and NT 3.x. Some may balk at Microsoft’s decisions to constrain support in this way as it prevents Microsoft’s web-based update service from downloading new patches and bug fixes, but this is great news for the small business and here’s why.

1. Regular Patching Discipline. Small businesses are often incapable of independently developing a strong patch regimen for their microcomputers. When overlooked, weak patch management extends vulnerability. Through forcing users to upgrade to Service Pack 2, the small business is forced to adopt more stringent update strategies.

2. Stronger Security with Limited Backwards Compatibility. Finally, after twenty-five years, Microsoft is realizing that they can’t support everything forever; they cannot be everything to everybody. It is too costly to promise full backwards compatibility on all products, and, too risky to support those who still desire to run legacy, antiquated applications. Limiting support is great news for the small business because it will make the Windows platform more secure and less vulnerable to the design weaknesses.

3. Ubiquity. The user experience, the look and feel of a computer’s user interface, should be consistent, repeatable, and intuitive – at least, this is what we teach in programming courses. Maintaining support on older operating systems and applications that used antiquated metaphors for navigation, file access, or application use drives up complexity and down ROI on the desktop investment. Having a consistent, modern, ubiquitous experience is important to the small business so that less time is consumed remembering how an older piece of software worked.

4. Constrained Long-term Support/Product Cost. If Microsoft is able to dedicate more time and resources to supporting modern operating systems this (feasibly) could translate to lower production and licensing costs. This means more capability, more security, and more functionality at capped cost levels for the small business consumer.

5. Lower TCO via Purchasing and Support Standardization. Finally, the small business can standardize its microcomputer assets and lower Total Cost of Ownership by eliminating support variability between operating systems. Instead of having to manually address patching and fixes in Windows 9x/ME/2000, small business can leverage XP’s automation to contain their support dollars.

Arguably, to some, Microsoft’s aggressive moves to limit legacy support may represent the monolithic software giant against flexing its muscle to limit consumer choice, but I’d call that a Red Herring: the cries of anti-competitive behavior are meant to illustrate a larger principle of democratization sweeping computing. A valuable idea in the broader discussion but irrelevant to the small business: the goal is to contain technology expenses not increase expenses through allowing more complexity and variability. Indeed, I applaud Microsoft’s recent actions – the small business benefits substantially when Microsoft takes dramatic steps to limit exposure and risk for their customers.

R

Russell Mickler works a technology consultant in Battle Ground, WA, USA. With over thirteen years of experience, Mickler holds a CISSP, MCSE, a Masters Degree in Information Technology, and is pursuing his Doctorate at Walden University. His website can be found at www.micklerandassociates.com; he can be contacted at mickler@micklerandassociates.com.

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