As we all know, Microsoft is pushing for individuals and companies to upgrade from Windows XP to something newer, preferably along the lines of Windows 8. The last Windows XP patch will be rolled out soon and last we heard, failing to upgrade to a newer version of Windows XP could prove to be quite costly.
This is because Microsoft will be charging for extended support like they are with banks, and it has been estimated that banks who fail to upgrade and who are requesting extended support could end up paying millions of dollars. However it seems that it is possible that when it comes to health services, Microsoft could be making an exception.
As it stands the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) still has a lot of computers that run Windows XP, but the UK government and Microsoft are reportedly in talks to help extend support for Windows XP for the NHS while they perform their upgrades. According to The Register, it has been estimated that the deal could cost the government anywhere between £30-£40 million.
It has also been estimated that the NHS has about 1 million PCs running on Windows XP, and with Microsoft having a list price of $200 for the first year per PC for extended support, it seems that the NHS might have gotten a fairly huge discount from Microsoft.
The extended support is expected to be only for a year which we guess would force the NHS to upgrade ASAP. According to a spokesperson for the Department of Health, “We are currently negotiating a package of support with Microsoft for the wider NHS system and expect an agreement to be concluded shortly.”
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