Many companies use an SQL Server to manage and store information. If you are still running SQL Server 2005 from Microsoft, you may know that technical support and security updates for SQL Server 2005 ended on April 12, 2016.  While SQL Server 2005 instances will continue to run, Microsoft will no longer provide hotfixes or security updates. Additionally, the benefits of upgrading to a modern data platform far outweigh the costs of maintaining security, support and compliance for an unsupported database.

What this means for your business:

No critical security updates

Many critical security updates were released for SQL Server 2005. After April 12, no more updates will be developed or released, and this could make your business vulnerable to cyber-security attacks.

No compliance updates

Companies that process credit card or industry regulated data may face non-compliance consequences. If your business handles credit payments, your revenue streams could be at risk.

Higher maintenance costs

Maintaining outdated technology and taking additional measures to bring it up to today’s standards can quickly become expensive. Retaining old software will likely cost more in the end.

The potential to lose customers

Forty-seven states now have security breach notification laws, meaning that businesses must immediately disclose a data breach to customers. If you are breached, how will this impact the integrity of your company?

We recommend migrating to SQL Server 2014 as soon as you can. Read the whitepaper from Microsoft to explore your migration options, and contact us with any questions.