After January 14, 2020, Microsoft will no longer provide support for the Windows 7 platform. No software updates. No security patches or fixes. No technical support for any issues - although certain enterprise customers may be able to purchase an Extended Security Update (ESU) program.
Microsoft has given the industry 10 years to prepare for this cut-over, and yet many organizations, due to the complexities of our business and competing initiatives, will see their migration projects go right down to the wire.
Not everyone is late to the game, though. As we recently announced, Paragon is (and has been) actively helping several ATM deployers across the globe with their Windows 10 migrations. We specifically designed our VirtualATM solution for just this type of scenario. VirtualATM provides users with automated, comprehensive testing capabilities, including features that allow testers to compare screen images, receipts and results between Windows 7 and Windows 10 devices, as well as generating reports to help identify any potential migration issues.
As a part of these active projects, Paragon has successfully virtualized several of the most common ATM software platforms, including APTRA Edge 10 and APTRA Activate from NCR and VISTA 5.x from Diebold Nixdorf.
We certainly believe that we are in the right place at the right time with our Next Generation portfolio of payment testing tools and continue to invest in the VirtualATM product to ensure that it meets market requirements. Last week, Paragon announced several significant enhancements including:
The migration to Windows 10 is going to be a major effort for everyone in the ATM industry. If you have started your migration project and have all the necessary tools and resources in place, you stand a good chance of beating the deadline and avoiding extra support costs. If you are just getting started, consider using Paragon VirtualATM to help increase productivity, expand test coverage, reduce project risk and improve your chance for success.