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Microsoft Support f`or Windows Server 2008 Coming to an End Soon

Joe Gehrke

Jun 20 2019

2 min read

Lifecycle management is an integral part of maintaining a reliable IT infrastructure. Sometimes lifecycles end because of age or workload and other times they expire due to vendor support. In the case of Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2, Microsoft announced that Extended Support will end on January 14, 2020. So, what does that mean to you? First, we need to understand the different phases of support. Microsoft has three: Mainstream Support, Extended Support, and Beyond End of Support.

Mainstream Support

Mainstream Support is Microsoft’s first phase of support and lasts five years. It includes the following benefits:

Incident support (no-charge incident support, paid incident support, support charged on an hourly basis, support for warranty claims)
Security update support
Ability to request non-security updates

Extended Support

The Extended Support phase follows Mainstream Support, and also lasts five years. The key features of Extended Support are:

Paid support
Security updates at no additional cost
Ability to request non-security updates (available only via Unified Support, a new model of support that offers comprehensive support that covers your entire organization)
Microsoft will not accept requests for warranty support, design changes, or new features during the Extended Support phase.

Beyond End of Support

The Beyond End of Support phase is the final phase of the product lifecycle and lasts for three years. Here are the key things to remember.

Request to change product design and features are not available
Security updates are available only with the purchase of the Extended Security Update Program for up to three years. This typically costs 75% of the on-premises license cost annually.
Technical support is provided if you purchase Extended Security Updates and have an active support plan in place on the product that has moved beyond the Extended Support date.

Server 2008 and 2008R2 are moving out of the Extended Support phase on January 14, 2020. From that date on, non-security updates will no longer be available, security updates will be available only if you pay for the Extended Security Update Program, and other vendors will diminish their support of this operating system version. If you are not prepared, this can leave your environment open to security holes, application instability, and support restrictions. To stay ahead of this deadline, contact Sikich and we can help determine the best solution for you.

This publication contains general information only and Sikich is not, by means of this publication, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or any other professional advice or services. This publication is not a substitute for such professional advice or services, nor should you use it as a basis for any decision, action or omission that may affect you or your business. Before making any decision, taking any action or omitting an action that may affect you or your business, you should consult a qualified professional advisor. In addition, this publication may contain certain content generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) language model. You acknowledge that Sikich shall not be responsible for any loss sustained by you or any person who relies on this publication.

About the Author

Joe Gehrke

Joe has over 13 years of experience working in the IT industry. He started my career in a small computer repair shop and continued to evolve his skills to take on new responsibilities as a Help Desk Administrator, Systems Administrator, and at his current role as a Senior Network Consultant in Sikich’s Network Operation’s Center. He has certifications from VMware, Microsoft, and SonicWall.