Google Chrome To Support Windows XP Till End Of 2015

Source: Buisnessetc

Windows XP is hardly one of the most up-to-date Operating Systems out there, even for Windows itself, which has subsequently seen Windows 7 and Windows 8, with Windows 10 expected to offer interconnectivity between desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones. That said, data reveals that, as per surveys conducted last month, Windows XP follows Windows 7 as the OS with the greatest market share, coming in at 17%. Perhaps that is why Google announced that Chrome will continue supporting security updates until the end of 2015.

The end of the year means that, as of now, there are about eight more months left to go before Google Chrome stops providing security updates for the Windows XP version of its browser. This comes on the back of the announcement made by Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) last year that it will stop supporting Windows XP, which basically means that the OS will not receive any new updates and bug fixes from Microsoft itself. That leaves the operating system vulnerable to hacks and attacks, with the security of the entire computer compromised.

With no official updates coming in, Microsoft hoped that consumers would finally move to upgrade their computers, ditching the OS that was launched in 2001. However, the considerable market share that Windows XP commands shows that consumers either find the outdated OS more affordable, or are more comfortable with it, especially since Windows’ last OS update, Windows 8, didn’t sit too well with all consumers. Instead, it is possible that this move might have had a small contribution to the demise of Internet Explorer, given that the browser also stopped receiving security updates.

Windows XP users subsequently had to shift to other browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Chrome by Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), which continued to receive security updates. This move allowed users of Windows XP to limit the security threat to their computers, not eliminate it entirely. Google Chrome was expected to continue offering security updates until at least April 2015, and it would appear that the company too, is now calling quits on the now-archaic Operating System.

In its announcement, Google explains that it aims to encourage users to shift to a more “secure environment”. With security updates for the Windows XP OS cut off at the source, “critical security vulnerabilities” were experienced. “At the operating system level, computers running XP are inherently in danger of being infected by malware and viruses, making it increasingly difficult for Chrome to provide a secure browsing environment,” the announcement by Google explained.

Google also acknowledged that a lot of people are still using Windows XP, and carrying out important work on those machines, which is why they kept providing the security updates and why they will continue to do so until the end of 2015. ”We want those people to have the option to use a browser that’s up-to-date and as safe as possible on an unsupported operating system.”

On another level, this also allows Google to potentially promote its own Chrome OS, which is not exactly popular compared the operating systems released by Microsoft Corporation and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). By finally pulling the plug on Windows XP, many users will have to find better alternatives (which in most cases, might still only be Windows 7). The point about security was a valid one though, and with high-level cyber attacks being carried out on a number of companies such as Microsoft and Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE), it is better that consumers are safe than sorry.

Source: Buisnessetc