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The End of an Era
Posted March 21, 2014 in Education, Legislation, Membership, Technology
An ever going part of process serving is the technology driving it and on April 8, 2014 Microsoft will end its support of the most successful operating system; Windows XP. XP continues to be the most popular operating system that Microsoft has ever released, with nearly 1/3 of all computers in the world still using it. Although XP will still continue to run on systems, process servers and photocopiers need to be aware of a few potential upcoming problems.
A main concern is the end of automatic updates, to include security updates. With security updates no longer available, a PC which has access to or contains HIPPA (E-PHI) protect information might not be in compliance after 4/8/14. Rule 164.308(a)(5)(ii)(B): “Protection from malicious software (Addressable). Procedures for guarding against, detecting, and reporting malicious software.” Although there is little definitive information on this, it appears that many in the healthcare fields are stating that XP systems (even 1 on the network) will no longer be in compliance after 4/8/14.
Another point to consider as 4/8/14 draws closer is what happens after Microsoft’s support ends. Many software vendors and hardware manufacturers will also stop supporting their programs and hardware. Meaning that less and less software options and drivers will be available for use on XP systems. More than likely any new software or hardware purchased will not be compatible with XP in the near future.
Now might be a good time to review your current operating systems and explore upgrading options. Although XP will still continue to work, it might be better to plan ahead and avoid the above issues down the road.
Davis Best
Technology Committee Member
Continuing Education, Legislative, Membership, Technology