In just two weeks Microsoft will finally cease providing support for its Windows XP operating system, effectively marking the beginning of the end for that particular piece of software. But while the death of XP is hogging all the headlines as the April 8 deadline draws closer, it’s worth noting that Microsoft is set to pull down the curtain on another, equally popular product – Office 2003.

Eleven years after Office 2003 was released, Microsoft will stop providing security updates and bug fixes for the productivity suite. In a blog post to remind customers of Office 2003’s imminent death, Microsoft noted that it “was on the cutting edge of productivity—it sported a new Office logo, gave birth to OneNote and had a new look and feel that excited our customers.”

But that was over a decade ago, and the PC landscape has been altered drastically in the intervening years. Smartphones and tablets have been selling like hotcakes, whilst PC sales have tanked. Meanwhile, new mobile and collaborative work platforms have taken hold across the enterprise thanks to cloud technology, causing workers to abandon their keyboard and mice in growing numbers.

Microsoft’s response to this was the launch of its revamped, cloud-based productivity software Office 365:

“Office 2003 no longer meets the needs of the way we work, play and live today. For this reason, it is time to say farewell to Office 2003 and embrace the productivity solution of today—Office 365.”

Old, old, old!

photo credit: IvanWalsh.com via photopin cc

Office 365 is a radical departure from Microsoft’s traditional packaged software products. Taking advantage of the cloud, Microsoft has embraced the subscription model, promising to continually update its software with new features as technology advances.

According to Microsoft, Office 365 users will “never have to worry about outdated software, security installs, or purchasing a CD with an installation code again—Office 365 is always up-to-date, equipped with built-in security and available to purchase online (no CD required!),” adding that “the days of editing documents via multiple attachments, iterations and printouts are behind us.”

Not surprisingly, Microsoft is using its end of support date to try and scare people into updating their older software. The company warns that those who don’t transition away from Windows XP and Office 2003 could suffer from dire security problems. Businesses could be flooded by malware that takes advantage of newly discovered exploits in the older software, lured by the fact that some “15 percent of midsize and large enterprises will still have Windows XP running on at least 10 percent of their PCs after Microsoft support ends,” according to a prediction by Gartner.