Come January 14, 2020, Microsoft will no longer support the Windows 7 operating system.
This means that security patches for software vulnerabilities will no longer be available for the system, meaning that schools still using Windows 7 will be open to attack from viruses and other malicious software.
Research by RM Education shows that 50% (37,400 of 75,000) of its customers are still using Windows 7, and as such the discontinuation of support could have significant security implications.
Jeremy Cooper, managing director of RM Education, said: “We understand the challenges that schools face, and know that with the continual squeeze on school budgets, replacing older devices can be difficult. We believe that 30% of the devices that we look after for schools are more than five years old. However, this move to Windows 10 is an essential one if schools are to fully protect themselves from malicious attacks.”