Windows Server and SQL Server end of support

If your organisation uses Windows Server 2012 or SQL Server 2012 or earlier, your normal support has ended. This puts workloads and applications using these platforms at risk. You need to act now to ensure you stay protected.

What action should you take?

You have 5 options:

1. Leverage Azure Arc to get Extended Security Updates anywhere
   You will be able to purchase and seamlessly deploy ESUs through Azure Arc in on-premises or multicloud environments, right from the Azure portal. In addition to providing a centralized management of security patching, ESUs enabled by Azure Arc gives you more flexibility with a pay-as-you-go subscription model, compared to the classic ESU offered through the Volume Licensing Center which are purchased in yearly increments.
2. Migrate to Azure
   Minimise business risk by securing now and modernising later. By migrating your Windows Server and SQL Server to Azure, you benefit from free extended security updates (ESU) and hybrid benefits – and are ready for future modernisation in the cloud.
3. Modernise to Azure
   Modernise your application to PaaS or serverless. Benefit from scalable and cost-efficient cloud native services such as App Service and Azure SQL Managed Instance – and never have to patch or upgrade again.
4. Upgrade
   Upgrade to a newer version, either on-prem or directly to Azure. Upgrading to a newer version requires more effort but gives you longer support timelines. Although this is a good option for some use cases, a modernisation approach is often recommended to enable you to fully benefit from cloud.
5. Delay your move
   Secure your on-premises estate and purchase extended security updates via Volume Licensing programs. Note that you have to pay for each year even if you only buy from year 2 or year 3. Only 2012 versions are eligible for this.

The best approach (or combination of approaches) depends on your situation. With our experience of more than 1,000 cloud projects, we can help you select the best option for each application – so you stay protected and can do more with less.

Contact us for a free 1-hour briefing, to learn more about:

• Your workloads and applications, which options best suit your organisation.
• Details on ESU
• How to get you going and secured, fast
• Pricing