The extended support end date is fast approaching for SharePoint Server 2013. Are you ready?  The last date for extended support for SharePoint 2013 is April 11, 2023.  If your organization is still running SharePoint 2013, you have two great options: migrate to SharePoint Online in Microsoft 365 or upgrade to SharePoint 2019 or SharePoint Server Subscription Edition on premises.  You could continue to use SharePoint 2013 unsupported, but that comes with many risks and would not be the recommended approach.  While taking on an upgrade or migration project might not be at the top of your to-do list, you may want to reprioritize that list after hearing the risks associated with running unsupported.

Some of the risks you may encounter by remaining on SharePoint 2013

You are on your own when it comes to support. Yes, this sounds like an obvious one, but we had to list it.  Technical support will no longer be offered for SharePoint 2013 after April 2023 without incurring additional charges for post-life support which can be quite expensive.

Weakened security moving forward is another risk to take into consideration. When a product is still under support, patches are deployed routinely to keep up with the ever-changing tactics of current-day hackers and cybercriminals.  When support ends it also means the end of those security patches that keep us protected. Without up-to-date patching capabilities, your organization will be left much more vulnerable to security breaches with no support from Microsoft available if one does occur.

Higher risk of business interruption is the last risk that made the top of our list. Over time components and solutions which may be critical to your business users, become less and less reliable and more prone to failure. Without the support of Microsoft to quickly get you up and running again should a failure occur, your team will experience extended downtime to coordinate an unsupported fix if a fix is possible at all.  While in support fixes happen behind the scenes or with minimal downtime, that may not be the case when an issue occurs after support has ended. The prolonged efforts of either reaching out for post-life support in a panic or having to brainstorm internally to put out the fire means your system will be affected and possibly down for longer while those efforts are coordinated.

Running SharePoint 2013 past the end of support date is risky and may result in disruption to business services.

If you are still utilizing the SharePoint 2013 framework, it’s time to start planning for your migration to SharePoint Online or upgrade to the latest SharePoint Server Edition.  Compass365 offers migration planning and implementation services. Working with one of our Solutions Architects as part of a Migration Assessment and Planning Engagement will provide you with a plan to move forward, scope, budget and timeline for completion.  Depending on the complexity of your environment, which will be analyzed as part of the assessment, your migration from SharePoint 2013 may take anywhere from 8 weeks to 6+ months. Let’s get you ready for April 2023 and the end of support for 2013.  Reach out to Cathy Ashbaugh, cashbaugh@compass365.com to discuss in more detail.

Compass365, a Microsoft Gold Partner, delivers SharePoint, Microsoft Teams and Power Platform solutions that help IT and Business leaders improve the way their organizations operate and how their employees work.