Are you still working on the same old laptop that you had in 2005?
More than likely, you now have a screaming, newer machine, capable of running the latest operating systems, that is both faster and lighter than its 2005 predecessor. If this is the case, then why are you still trusting your enterprise data to a version of SQL Server that is over 10 years old?
A typical Microsoft support lifecycle includes two phases. The first is mainstream support that lasts 5 years. During mainstream support, you can expect technical support, feature patches, updates, and security hotfixes from Microsoft.
However, when the mainstream support cycle ends and the product goes into extended support, Microsoft provides only security hotfixes and technical support.
Once extended support is over (as is the case with SQL Server 2005 on April 12, 2016), Microsoft will no longer provide security hotfixes or technical support. It is possible to purchase custom support agreements for Microsoft, but these are very expensive.
If you decide not to upgrade to SQL Server 2014, after April 12, 2016, you will no longer get security hotfixes. This will allow potential openings for security breaches and the risk of business interruption.
The cost of maintaining legacy equipment, such as servers, operating systems, and SQL without support from Microsoft can get very expensive. While Microsoft does provide extended support, they ask a premium price for it.
When support for SQL Server 2005 runs out, your organization may no longer meet regulatory standards compliance.
Target the infrastructure for your upgrade by reviewing your cloud and infrastructure strategy
Retain maximum control and flexibility of your infrastructure and SQL Server environments. Physical or virtual servers are dedicated to SQL Server.
Achieve fast migration to the cloud with minimal changes. SQL Server running on Azure VMs is optimized for extending existing on-premises SQL Server applications to the cloud in a hybrid scenario or deploying an existing application to Azure in a migration or dev/test scenario.
A SQL database native to the cloud, also known as a platform as a service (PaaS) database or a database as a service (DBaaS) that is optimized for software-as-a-service (SaaS) app development. It offers compatibility with the majority of SQL Server features.
