ICT Experts Allay Fears Over Windows XP

7th AU-ECA Joint Annual meeting accreditation in Abuja, recently.

Some Information and Communications Technology (ICT) experts in Nigeria have shared their views on the move by computer software giant, Microsoft, to end technical support for its longest running Operating System – Windows XP.
They told The Tide source in separate interviews in Lagos recently that it was not doomsday and consumers should take proactive steps to upgrade to the newest versions of Windows OS.
Microsoft had earlier this month said that it has ended support for its Windows XP, which was launched in October 2001, and is now three generations behind the latest operating system.
President, Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), Bayo Banjo, said when Microsoft released Windows XP in 2001, no one could have predicted that it would still be in use in 2013.
“More amazing! It isn’t just still in use, it is extremely popular!” he exclaimed.
Banjo said nearly 40 per cent of the world’s estimated one billion computers ran Windows XP.
“In Nigeria, at least 40 to 50 per cent of public and private sectors still run on XP, despite the warning that was communicated by Microsoft more than two years ago.
“Despite a number of other operating systems available in today’s market, XP is second only to Windows 7 as the most-popular operating system around,” he said.
Banjo urged consumers to quickly upgrade to the latest version of Windows OS, because running Windows XP was, in principle, at least less secured than a Windows 8 PC.
“If consumers continue using XP, their system would be highly susceptible to ‘malware’ and other online risks, which can permanently destroy your system and disrupt your operations,” he said.
Also, Uwa Agbonile, Chief Software Architect, Infoware Ltd., said Windows XP had remained popular because it was stable, fast, powerful, and relatively simple to use.
“What’s more, many people still run XP simply because after more than a decade, it’s what they have become accustomed to using.
“The discontinuation of security patches is the most damaging part of terminating support for XP,” Agbonile said.
He urged computer users to upgrade or replace hardware with newer equipment which did not support XP.