Windows Server 2016 - Is That Server in the Cupboard Becoming a Business Risk?

It sits in a cupboard or comms room, quietly running your accounts package, storing files or supporting an important business application.

It works. So why worry about it?

The problem is that thousands of businesses are still running Windows Server 2016, and Microsoft’s extended support for it ends in January 2027.

What does that actually mean?

Your server won’t suddenly stop working when support ends.

That’s arguably what makes the issue easy to ignore.

The server may carry on doing exactly what it did the day before. But normal security updates end, software vendors will increasingly stop supporting applications running on it, and keeping an unsupported operating system on your network becomes progressively more difficult to justify.

Think of it like continuing to drive a reliable old van after the manufacturer has stopped making important safety parts for it.

It still starts every morning. The risk is what happens when something goes wrong.

“We don't know what version our server is running”

That’s a surprisingly common answer.

In a 50-person business without an internal IT department, technology tends to evolve gradually. Servers get installed for a particular application, staff change, suppliers change and documentation gets lost.

Five or six years later, somebody asks:

What does that server actually do?

And nobody is completely sure.

Before spending any money, that’s the first question to answer.

Do we need to buy a new server?

Not necessarily.

Depending on what your existing server does, the sensible answer could be:

• upgrade the operating system;
• replace ageing hardware;
• migrate the workload to a newer server;
• move some services into Microsoft 365 or the cloud;
• or retire the server altogether.

The important thing is not to replace old technology simply because it’s old.

First establish what you have, what depends on it and what the business actually needs.

The bigger risk is leaving it until January

Server projects take time.

Applications need checking. Backups need verifying. Hardware may need ordering. Suppliers may need consulting. Migration needs planning around the working day.

Discovering in January that the server running your accounts or production system needs replacing puts everyone under unnecessary pressure.

Finding out in November gives you options.

Not sure whether this affects you?

You don’t need to know.

That’s our job.

FOS.net can check what servers you have, what they’re running, how old they are, whether they’re still supported and what applications depend on them.

If everything is fine, we’ll tell you.

If something needs attention, we’ll explain the options in plain English and give you time to plan it properly.

Running Windows Server 2016 - or simply not sure? Talk to us before it becomes urgent.