The server market is seeing a year on year growth rate of 37.7%, adding $15.5 billion to the overall investment every single year. Fundamentally, the server market consists mainly of two parts, the hardware often called as a server unit and the software that runs it.
Microsoft has been in the server side of things since 1994 with the Windows NT 3.5 Server. One of their most popular versions of server software was the Windows Server 2008 & SQL Server 2008.
Windows 2008 & SQL 2008 have had their fair share in the development of Microsoft as a software provider for companies and enterprises looking for reliable server management software. Over the years, Microsoft introduced newer versions of its server software with added features and security. The latest versions of the respective software are Windows Server 2019 and Windows SQL Server 2017.
Every new technological advancement comes with a host of new features and upgrades. However, we rarely see the user base move to a new version as soon as it comes out. There are multiple factors that affect the migration of users from one version to another, the first one being convenience.
When the developers get used to a platform, it significantly increases their efficiency. In other words, they learn the software like the back of their hands. So without clear motivation, a catalyst, nobody is going to move to a newer one. Microsoft themselves had a clear example of this on their hands with the Windows OS upgrades.
Even in July of 2018, Windows 8.1 Market share was sitting at 7.7% while the Windows 7 was running on 39.06% of computers, only to be toppled by Windows 10 which was at 47.25%.
Although Windows 7 is three years older than Windows 8, and six years older than Windows 10, it stood up against the newer versions because of a simple fact – the users didn’t feel the need to upgrade because they were so used to Windows 7. One can also argue that this happened because Windows 8 wasn’t attractive enough to influence the user base.
However, Windows Server is a different case altogether. Each version of Windows Server and SQL Server is developed with a clear set of features in mind. And, there are major concerns when a company chooses not to upgrade to the latest version.
Here are some of the points that portray the importance of requiring an upgrade:
Security: Handling sensitive user data demands the right protection
Security is one of the prime focuses of server software upgrades. Malware and viruses can affect the servers and do some serious damage, especially if your server is used to store sensitive customer data.
Unlike a home computer, the server can have multiple networks connected to it and the information may be shared on a host of nodes. In other words, there are multiple entry points for malware to exploit the system and compromise the server altogether.
A newer version of server software comes with new security measures to keep the platform secure. In addition, with on-premise systems, there is an increased risk involved as physical damage or even theft can affect your servers.
Updates: change with the trends
The software is developed to meet the requirements of that year, and as time progresses, the requirements change and the software will be asked to do more. Developers roll out updates that cater to these requirements. With End of Service for Windows Server 2008 & SQL Server 2008, the software will cease to get such updates and add on features. It makes it quite clear that the servers are not ready to take on the higher requirements requested by the user.
Storage and computing power: more users requires more power
As the number of users on a server increase, that puts a higher amount of load on the server. So to meet the increase in usage, the company hosting the server must increase the storage and computing power, of all other things, to perform well. Such hardware additions do cost the company a great deal when it comes to the overall costs.
Microsoft’s push towards Cloud Computing
With the latest versions of Windows Server & SQL Server, companies have access to the latest tech from Microsoft, be it new software updates or security updates. The 2008 versions might work, but they do not meet the requirements of modern computing. Data is one among the most precious asset in the modern world and having a secure management system handling it gives a peace of mind to the company.
Azure is Microsoft’s cloud-based solution for companies where Microsoft itself host the servers for the clients while the client can develop, test and deploy apps using these servers. With such a move, Microsoft eliminates the need for on-premise hardware. It is a well-rounded package that provides Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).
The biggest fear among businesses and organizations when it comes to new technology is the migration process itself. There is a certain level of skepticism that businesses experience when migrating to newer software, and the most grueling part of the migration is the setup process.
With Sarana Solusindo, you don’t have to worry about the intricacies of the migration or software update. We will set up everything per your requirement and it will be ready for use exactly when you need it! Our cost-effective and fast-deployable IT services and solutions are fully integrated with the aim of being a trustworthy organization in the eyes of customers as well as partners. All with the end goal in mind of supporting the customer’s organization Digital Transformation success.