Half of business PCs still run Windows 2000

Microsoft's Windows 2000 will move into extended support at the end of this month, but it still still run by nearly half of all business PCs. Analysts say that Windows 2000 was an extraordinarily success operating system, maybe even too successful:

The conundrum, said O'Halloran, is in the lifespan of Windows 2000, which at the end of June exits what Microsoft calls Mainstream Support and enters Extended Support, where non-security hotfixes are provided only to companies with support contracts in place.

"The sky won't fall when Extended Support goes into effect," said O'Halloran, "but it should be a wake-up call to companies with continued investments in Windows 2000. You've got five years to figure out how to transition, and like everything, it's going to sneak up on you if you're not careful."

According to AssetMetrix's data, Windows XP's share in the corporate Windows market accounts for 38 percent, while Windows 2000 still holds 48 percent of the market. They further add that each new version of Microsoft's Windows has a longer lifespan than the one before it. It is believed that Longhorn will be around for even longer than Windows 2000. More details at informationweek