Drive Control Corporation (DCC), a Microsoft supplier for South Africa and the SADC region, is encouraging its reseller partners and their end user clients to start migrating from Windows 7 to Windows 10.

Microsoft announced that Windows 7 users will no longer be protected by the company from 14 January 2020. After the deadline, Windows 7 will continue to start and run but Microsoft will no longer provide:

• New security updates;

• Non-security hotfixes;

• Free or paid assisted support option; and

• Online technical content update.

Says Michael Watts, business unit manager: Microsoft at DCC: "The reality is the Windows 7 operating system is almost ten-years-old. Migrating to Windows 10 makes sense – apart from all the benefits that come with the OS, users will continue to receive regular security updates that protect their devices from malicious attacks."

Windows 10 Pro provides end-to-end protection, at no extra cost. It secures businesses against modern security threats with built-in, always-up-to-date safeguards that protect devices and its valuable information.

Importantly, Windows 10 easily integrates into organisations' existing technology infrastructure such as computers, printers and monitors. It also enables users to reuse their existing LoB (line-of-business) apps and get full support for virtualisation.

The OS offers easy-to-use migration tools to keep current apps working optimally – users will be able to keep 99% of their Windows 7 apps.

The migration is a business productivity no-brainer, a recent SMB PC Study by Techaisle says Windows 10 improves IT efficiency with up to 15%.

Windows 10 provides the following important benefits:

• Safeguards businesses with the most secure Windows yet;

• Reduces or avoids remediation for security events by an estimated 33% says Forrester Research;

• When bundled with new hardware, provides up two-and-half times better performance and up to three times longer battery life than a five-year-old PC;

• Up 28% faster average startup than Windows 7; and.

• Improves efficiency with up to 65% faster multi-tasking.

"The time is now to protect what you've built and get more done by moving to Windows 10. As a Microsoft supplier, we can assist our resellers with the migration that will ultimately provide important business gains and both customer opportunity and retention," concludes Watts.