The city is about to approve $10 million budget for upgrades

Mar 27, 2015 13:10 GMT  ·  By

Windows XP no longer receives updates and security patches since April 8, 2014, but that doesn't mean that all companies, organizations, and users who were running the old operating system rushed to upgrade to a newer Windows version.

For example, many of the schools in Michigan City are still running Windows XP mostly because they use old hardware that cannot cope with system requirements of newer software such as Windows 7.

The Michigan City Common Council's Finance Committee is now trying to get approved a $10 million (€7.3 million) plan that would allow upgrades for school technology, trying not only to transition all systems from XP to a newer OS version but also to give students the benefit of using newer products with modern features and capabilities.

MCAS Technology Director Kevin McGuire has revealed that no less than 65 percent of the computers in local schools are still powered by Windows XP, pointing out that those that have hardware that can cope with Windows 7 have already been upgraded.

What's worse is that Windows 7 is required for ISTEP (Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress), but on the other hand, with no money available for upgrades, some schools have no other option than to use the few computers that are powerful enough to run this OS version.

Right now, there are no other funds available because loans are not an option, as schools wouldn't be able to pay the money back, so getting the state's approval for the aforementioned investment plan is currently the only way to go.