Your IT Support Company’s Role In Helping You Upgrade Away From Microsoft Server 2008
“End of life” sounds bad, but it doesn’t have to be.
Sure, it’s the point at which you won’t be able to use Microsoft Server 2008 anymore, which isn’t great news. That’s because end of life means no more bug fixes or security updates.
However, there’s a silver lining. If you get this upgrade done before the end of the year, you can take advantage of Section 179 to deduct the taxes – has your IT support offered to help?
Your IT Support Should Help You Manage End Of Life
Here are the facts – Microsoft Server 2008 (and R2) will reach end of life on January 14, 2020. After that point, there will be a loss of usability and increased vulnerability. Problems will start to occur:
- No free security updates on-premises
- No non-security updates
- No free support options
- No online technical content update
All three available editions of Windows Server 2008 R2 will be unsupported after January 14, 2020. This includes:
- Datacenter
- Enterprise
- Standard
The fact is that if you’re using Windows Server 2008, you can’t just decide to go without it. As server software, it’s at the core of your IT infrastructure. That’s why you need to upgrade, and soon…
2 Upgrade Options Your IT Support Should Offer…
- Windows Server/SQL Server: This is a good choice if you’re looking to remain on-premises, but remember, there isn’t a direct upgrade path without performing a clean install, which means you’ll need to upgrade to Windows Server 2012 first to preserve settings.
- Microsoft Azure: Microsoft Azure, the cloud computing service offered by Microsoft as a modern alternative to their older server operating systems. In addition to protecting you from an unsupported operating system, upgrading to Microsoft Azure will offer a number of benefits, such as three additional years of Critical and Important security updates at no additional charge, as well as the many features of Microsoft Azure.
Make Sure You Upgrade Before Dec. 31, 2019
While you’re upgrading your software, you may as well upgrade your hardware too, right? Here’s why – you can take advantage of the 179 Tax Deduction before 12/31/19.
Section 179 of the IRS Code was enacted to enable small businesses like yours to take depreciation deductions for certain assets in the year the property is placed in service rather than depreciating them over a long period of time. For 2019, the deduction is $1,000,000 – meaning you’re able to deduct the full cost of equipment up to $1,000,000 from your taxes.
This offers massive savings that help you make sure you’re keeping up with the latest technologies, and when systems reach their end-of-life, it’s a lot less stressful and costly to upgrade.
Need IT Support To Take Care Of Your Upgrade?
If you need help in managing end of life and claiming your tax deduction, allow us to assist – our team can help you build a plan for migrating.
