Microsoft has an industry leading support lifecycle for it's products with business software generally getting 10 years support and consumer products 5 years, but even then the end of support surprises some individuals and you need to be aware to ensure you are not caught out.  Our support also requires people to adopt service packs within 12-24 months of them being released, depending on the products.

here along with all the obsolete products here.

Why do I mention all this now, after all, this is not new information, well, we have some significant Windows End of Support (EoS) dates coming up. 

With these date looming reminding your customers that moving to Windows 7 and utilizing the many features built into the product can help you achieve simplier support and them a more secure and compliant platform for your users, reduce your help desk costs, and increase performance and reliability for your end users. Remember that a Windows 7 user can record the steps of a problem and send them through to you using the Problem Step Recorder which simplifies support.

Here are some key dates to remember:

• March 1, 2010 – Windows 7 RC pre-expiration shut downs begin.

Beginning March 1, the Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) will start to shut down every two hours in preparation for its expiration on June 1, 2010. That means you will need to migrate your RC systems to a released to manufacturing (RTM) version of Windows 7; or your previous operating system. Remember to back up all your data as either option will require a clean installation. For more information, read this post on the Windows Team blog.

• April 13, 2010 – Support for Windows Vista RTM ends.

To help ensure your Windows Vista PCs stay secure and up to date, make sure they are running Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) or Service Pack 2 (SP2).

• July 13, 2010 – Support for Windows XP SP2 and Windows 2000 ends.

If you are running Windows XP, stay more secure by moving to Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) or migrating to Windows 7. Updating your Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista–based PCs before the end of mainstream support dates will ensure that your PCs stay supported and receive security updates. Migrating to Windows 7 provides the longest support lifecycle for your organization, helping to ensure protection, support, and timely updates.

http://www.microsoft.com/eos.

If you or your customer needs more time to test your application and hardware compatibility in Windows 7? If so, the Windows 7 Enterprise 90-Day Trial provides a great opportunity for you to finish critical testing with a full version of Windows 7 Enterprise.

Also, don't forget that you have the ability to deploy Windows 7 through your partner program memebership.  The exact details depend on your level, but more details can be found here along with other benefit information.

ttfn

David