So far, Microsoft's ten-year-old operating system, Windows XP, remains the world's second largest mainstream operating system. According to the latest data, the global market share of Windows XP is 37%. Microsoft seems quite uneasy about this proportion. After all, Microsoft had hoped that all Windows users worldwide would switch to Windows 7 or Windows 8 before April 2013.
In order to encourage Windows users to abandon the XP system more quickly, a senior Microsoft executive recently issued a new statement saying that Windows XP has become a relic, so Windows XP users must understand that using such an old platform poses risks. If they do not upgrade, it will be too late.
Dean Edwards, the General Manager of Microsoft New Zealand, said: "In today's rapidly developing technology, if we compare a 12-year-old mobile phone or digital camera with Windows XP in the same context, we should clearly feel that Windows XP is a relic-level thing. Once support for Windows XP ends, data security and privacy will become the biggest risks. The only way to protect business users and consumers themselves is to upgrade to a new operating system."
On the other hand, many examples have proven that whether for enterprises or consumers, the cost of transitioning from the Windows XP platform to a new platform is quite high. However, Microsoft still hopes that when Windows XP officially retires in April 2014, the percentage of global Windows XP users can drop to 10%.
Just recently, Microsoft Japan confirmed that it would help Meiji Yasuda, one of Japan's largest insurance companies, achieve a smooth transition between old and new operating systems. Microsoft stated that they would replace all 30,000 Windows XP desktop computers of Meiji Yasuda with Windows 8 tablets to facilitate their mobile office needs.