Although Microsoft had already announced the end of Windows XP in 2009, it was not until April 8, 2014 that support was finally discontinued. Microsoft will not release new updates for this system and, what is even more important in terms of security and reliability, there will be no help from Microsoft to find solutions to new attacks.
It is easy to foresee the negative repercussions that this situation has on the millions of systems still supported today on Windows XP. We must not lose sight of the fact that the Windows XP version is the first clearly stable and reliable version of the so-called multi-window operating systems, something that led Windows XP to become a standard, especially in the field of man-machine interfaces in general and in Supervision and Control Systems.
Windows XP has become a system obsolete as young as 13 years old. This fact contrasts especially with the reality of the so-called regulated environments: Many organizations in the industrial sector, especially those operating in the food, pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries, find themselves within a highly demanding legislative framework on which their products and, consequently, the systems that make this production possible must be based.
These systems, and the multitude of methodological processes that accompany them, represent very important investments for these industries, which are estimated to last between 20 and 30 years. The impact for this type of industry of the obsolescence premature The cost of upgrading its systems is not quantifiable only in terms of the development and acquisition of new systems, but the time and effort involved in the development of the new systems. planning and recertification are undoubtedly the most important investment.
Can we prevent a system from becoming obsolete?
The alternatives to this business model in the Systems environment are diverse, although with no obvious results. However, there is already a very important current of opinion that the use of an open source operating system has clear advantages, especially in environments such as Industry.
The Chinese authorities seem to agree with this thesis by announcing that they will develop their own Linux-based operating system to replace the obsolete Windows XP.
All of us who are dedicated in one way or another to the development of systems for the industrial environment have serious doubts about the acceptance that Open Source solutions will have, especially in regulated environments. These companies are looking for market that are accompanied by the seal of a large corporation that facilitates the certification of its systems for compliance with regulatory standards.
However, this trend is changing, systems are evolving at the speed of new technologies and the industry needs to join this trend. It won't be long before we see critical processes supported on open source platforms.
Engineer Advisor Specialist Industry