THE CAPTAIN
Newbie
Banks will be hit hard by Microsoft's decision to withdraw support for Windows XP, as the majority of the world's ATMs use the operating system.
According to Reuters, 95% of cash machines run XP, meaning they will have to pay millions in upgrades when support is cut off on April 8.
With under a month to go, many unprepared banks will be forced to pay Microsoft for an extended contract while upgrades are put in place.
Sources claim that moving from Windows XP to Windows 7 could cost each UK bank between £50m and £60m.
It is thought that Lloyds Banking Group, RBS, HSBC, Barclays and Santander UK are five of Britain's banks either to have already arranged, or to be in the process of arranging, extended contracts with the PC maker, as the contracts are vital for ensuring their machines are protected against viruses and hackers.
"There are certainly large enterprise customers who haven't finished their migrations yet and are purchasing custom support," a spokesman for Microsoft admitted.
"The cost will depend on both the specific needs of the customer and what support they already have in place, so it's different for every customer."
Recent figures suggest that Windows XP still powers more than a quarter of PCs, and actually saw a market share increase from January (28.98%) to February (29.23%).
According to Reuters, 95% of cash machines run XP, meaning they will have to pay millions in upgrades when support is cut off on April 8.
With under a month to go, many unprepared banks will be forced to pay Microsoft for an extended contract while upgrades are put in place.
Sources claim that moving from Windows XP to Windows 7 could cost each UK bank between £50m and £60m.
It is thought that Lloyds Banking Group, RBS, HSBC, Barclays and Santander UK are five of Britain's banks either to have already arranged, or to be in the process of arranging, extended contracts with the PC maker, as the contracts are vital for ensuring their machines are protected against viruses and hackers.
"There are certainly large enterprise customers who haven't finished their migrations yet and are purchasing custom support," a spokesman for Microsoft admitted.
"The cost will depend on both the specific needs of the customer and what support they already have in place, so it's different for every customer."
Recent figures suggest that Windows XP still powers more than a quarter of PCs, and actually saw a market share increase from January (28.98%) to February (29.23%).