After more than 12 years as one of the most popular operating systems in the world, Windows XP is taking its final bow. Or rather, Microsoft is yanking it off the stage to make way for newer OSes.
Windows XP’s life support ends on April 8, yet more than 500 million users still haven’t upgraded. As of February, XP’s market share was still at more than 29%, and it has actually increased in 2014. Many of the systems still relying on XP are companies that haven’t yet switched due to the staggering costs of an overhaul, yet those still running it after support ends will be left with serious security vulnerabilities.
Attachmate, a legacy modernization and enterprise fraud-management software company, has put together an infographic illustrating where Windows XP falls in the desktop OS market and the ripple effects its “end of life” will have, both financially and in terms of security.
