In a world where we are starting, albeit slowly, to realise that we cannot sustain the ‘throw-away society’ attitude that has become the norm in terms of technology, we should probably be grateful that Microsoft stood by its promise to support its operating system, Windows 7, for ten years.
The company has announced: “Microsoft made a commitment to provide 10 years of product support for Windows 7 when it was released on October 22, 2009. When this 10-year period ends, Microsoft will discontinue Windows 7 support so that we can focus our investment on supporting newer technologies and great new experiences. The specific end of support day for Windows 7 will be January 14, 2020. After that, technical assistance and software updates from Windows Update that help protect your PC will no longer be available for the product. Microsoft strongly recommends that you move to Windows 10 sometime before January 2020 to avoid a situation where you need service or support that is no longer available.”
Don’t panic!
If your self-service units run Windows 7 then the first thing you should do is speak to your IT department. They may have concerns regarding compliance with PSN guidelines and general data security. D-Tech International will continue to provide product support for all of our self-service units, including those running Windows 7.
You don’t have to replace units!
We have been approached by several libraries who have been advised by their current provider that because they run Windows 7 their units will be rendered defunct as of next January and they will need to purchase new self-service units. Units are not end-of-life because the operating system is!
We are advising our customers that if they do need to upgrade to Windows 10 then we can offer this as an option, by changing the integrated PC.
Our promise to you
We are justifiably proud of the support we offer our customers, and we recognise that library technology is a significant investment. That’s why we always endeavour to maintain and upgrade our equipment to deliver an excellent ROI, even when third-party software makes that challenging.
