Windows Server 2003 has been around for 12 years and Microsoft reckons that it’s time to retire it. Windows Sever 2003 had a minimum processor speed of 550 MHz, and up to 4GB of RAM supported in the 32-bit version. It was well received then and achieved numbers never seen at that time.
Commenting on the move to stop support for Windows Server 2003, Takeshi Numoto, Corporate Vice President, Cloud and Enterprise Marketing, said this,
“It’s been said that all endings are really beginnings, and technology is no exception. As the speed of technology innovation increases, the more our products needs to evolve to keep pace. To put this in perspective, back in 2003, smartphones and mobile applications were marginally adopted. Today, they are prolific and driving real-time business on the go. Now, my current mobile phone exceeds the original Windows Server 2003 memory and processor requirements! If you put the standards of 2003 next to the scale and scope of applications today, there just isn’t any comparison.
Windows Server 2003 reaches end of support in less than 6 months. But we believe the end is an exciting new beginning for our customers. Many customers, from large enterprises such as Aston Martin, to smaller businesses such as Karen M. Hazleton, CPA have already upgraded to newer versions of Windows Server or Microsoft Azure. These customers are seeing real benefits, including improved performance, higher reliability, and increased flexibility in responding to business needs. If you are still running Windows Server 2003, I want to remind you that now is the time to migrate. Support for Windows Server 2003 will end on July 14, 2015.
A good migration strategy should include several key elements. You need to identify any remaining instances of Windows Server 2003, analyze which workloads are running on those instances, and choose the right migration path. Windows Server 2012 R2, Microsoft Azure, and Office 365 are all great options for migration, depending on your specific requirements.”
Microsoft confirmed that Windows Server 2003 instances will continue running but users risk significant security risks when they do so.
Source [Microsoft]
