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Plan now for the end of Windows 7

Support for Windows 7 ends in 2020; ATM deployers should start planning now to ensure an orderly, cost-effective migration to the next OS.

March 26, 2015 by Jim Ghiglieri — Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, SHAZAM

After support for theWindows XPoperating system ceased in April 2014, ATM operators still using the software had an increasingly hard time supporting their systems and couldn't ensure sufficient security.

After the end-of-support date of April 8, Windows XP users were told not to consider their ATMs protected, and were urged to upgrade to a newer version of the operating system.

Switching ATM hardware and software to a new OS is both challenging and expensive. In preparation for the end of support for Windows 7, the ATM Industry Association recently released an OS migration cost model for ATM deployers.

"Our industry model offers the ability to compare four different migration scenarios from a financial perspective, based on a financial institution's typical cost drivers," Francesco Burelli, partner at Innovalue Management Advisors, said in a press release. "ATM operators can compare the costs of different upgrade options depending on factors like number of ATMs and the risk levels."

Although Microsoft's free mainstream support for Windows 7 ended last month, users will continue to receive security updates until 2020.

Deployers of ATMs operating on Windows 7 should be preparing for that end-of-support date. Understanding the most cost-effective approach to an ATM OS upgrade can provide valuable cost-savings when the time comes to make the switch.

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