Microsoft Bows to Pressure, Extends Support for Older Windows Versions By Peter Galli January 12, 2004 Microsoft Corp. on Monday capitulated to customer pressure and announced that it would now continue extended support for Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition and for Windows Millennium Edition (ME) until June 30, 2006. Microsoft recently said that support for Windows 98 and 98 SE would be phased out this Friday—January 16, while support for Windows Me was due to stop on December 31, 2004. Click here to read more about Microsoft's software retirement strategy. But on Monday a company spokesman told eWEEK that the decision to extend support for the products was "part of Microsoft's ongoing effort to respond to customers' needs around the world." During this time, Microsoft will continue to offer paid phone support and will continue to review any critical security issues and take appropriate steps. "Microsoft made this decision to accommodate customers worldwide who are still dependent upon these operating systems and to provide Microsoft more time to communicate its product lifecycle support guidelines in a handful of markets—particularly smaller and emerging markets," he said. According to officials, Microsoft also wanted to bring Windows 98 SE into compliance with the company's current lifecycle policy for new products, which provides for support for seven years instead of the original four. "Microsoft made the decision to also lengthen support for Windows 98 and Windows Me customers through the same date in order to provide a clear and consistent date for support conclusion for all of these older products," the spokesman said. The move is expected to bring relief to some IT users, and particularly consumers, given the millions who still use the products. Analysts at International Data Corp. in Framingham, Mass. estimated that there are some 58 million Windows 98 users in addition to the existing 21 million Windows 95 users. At the same time, Ottawa-based AssetMetrix Research Labs said that more than 80 percent of companies are still using some Windows 98 and/or Windows 95. However, some IT professionals like Jim Lambright, an IT manager with Roth Manufacturing Corp., in New London, Ohio, find themselves in a Catch-22 situation. The companies are running outdated PC business applications but are not making enough profit to upgrade their hardware and software. "Oftentimes, the budgets just don't allow for all these fancy upgrades. It's the 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' scenario. I'm in Northern Ohio and the region is losing businesses so fast it's unreal. Upgrades are not a prerequisite if your profit loss margin is in the less than one percent range," he said. "Also, to upgrade both the desktop and network operating system will not improve production on the shop floor, which is where the money is made," Lambright observed. "I can't even come close to being able to pitch a justification proposal when I know we need new machinery on the shop floor. That is why Linux will become increasingly popular in the business world." Sun Microsystems' executives recently castigated Microsoft for leaving customers "in the lurch." To read more about the company's open-source pitch, click here. Microsoft support was often also a case of too little too late, he added. Support for the company's older operating systems such as Windows 95 and 98 appeared to be different than the way it supported its NT products, which always seemed to be the favored child. "I don't believe Microsoft ever intended Windows 98SE to be so big in the enterprise. But it also appears that the newer bugs have been written for NT-based systems, which helps a bit," Lambright said. Newssource: eWEEK

Thanks for the info K. Good news for me and my ME.

I wonder what the term "paid incident support" actually means. Microsoft Extends Paid Support On Windows 98 By Paula Rooney, CRN Microsoft has extended paid support on Windows 98 until June of 2006. The Redmond, Wash. software giant planned to pull the plug on all support for Windows 98 and Windows 98 SE on Jan. 16, 2004 but decided to extend paid incident support until June 2006 after facing customer pressure, a spokesman confirmed. No-charge incident support and extended hotfix support for Windows 98 ended June 30, 2003.

I found this in another article and it sounds like they might address security issues. The software giant has prolonged support for the operating systems until June 30, 2006. During that time, paid over-the-phone support will be available, "critical" security issues will be reviewed, and "appropriate steps" taken.

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