Windows 7 Extended Security Updates
Hopefully, everyone has heard about the Windows 7 end of life and that it is strongly recommended that all devices running Windows are transitioned to Windows 10. As Tech Talk News has previously covered a few times, the most commonly recommended solution is to get new PCs, though this is dependent on age of the devices.
For those who would like a bit more time for budgeting purposes or to do a few waves of replacements, Microsoft has released Extended Security Updates for Windows 7. While this has been mentioned in passing in previous editions, this issue serves as a more in-depth explanation of the option.
It is important to be aware of the applications and services that your systems may be running. While ESU are viable to extend the time the devices receive update, it is up to the vendors and programs themselves to decide whether or not that is sufficient for them to continue to support the programs.
What Are Extended Security Updates (ESU)?
The ESUs are a paid subscription that will allow Windows 7 devices to receive important patches and fixes that will help to keep the system secure. The term of this subscription is from January 2020 to December 2020.
There will be a second subscription offered to cover the 2021 calendar year, but the price of this second year subscription will at least double. There will be no extension options following that.
Please note that these subscriptions are at a per device cost.
What Needs To Be Done To Obtain This Subscription?
The process of enabling Extended Support for each device may be a bit more complicated than you would expect. First and most obviously, the extended support license must be provisioned. Following that, the device must have all available updates in the Windows Update app installed.
This is where three separate updates need to be installed, each of which is downloaded by a technician and is not available through typical Windows Update services. It is at this point that the licensing code may be applied in the Windows command prompts to enable the device to receive further updates for an additional year.
What Does This Cost?
Including the cost of both the subscription and a technician to provision, install and register the program on the PC, the cost per device to obtain the extended security updates is $115 in 2020. This price includes the labor involved in getting everything setup properly, so no additional time or costs should be associated with this process.
Should you have any questions or want to purchase ESUs for any of your devices, please feel free to call into our office.
We strive to look out for the best interest of our customers and their procurement in the IT venue. Be it hardware, software or service related, we want to guide you in the most effective manner possible.
