Microsoft recently announced that SharePoint 2013 will reach end of life on April 11, 2023. SharePoint 2013 is just one of the many Microsoft 2013 products that will reach their end of support on the same date. After this date, SharePoint 2013 will no longer receive security updates, non-security updates, bug fixes, technical support, or online technical content updates. If you are still using an on-premises SharePoint 2013 intranet after the end-of-support date, your organization may face increased security risks and compliance issues over time.

This article will help you prepare for SharePoint 2013 end of life, including the risks of using SharePoint 2013 after April 11, 2023, and why we recommend migrating to SharePoint Online.

SharePoint 2013 End of Life Risks

SharePoint 2013 end of life does not mean this service will stop working. Organizations will still be able to operate on SharePoint 2013; however, Microsoft will no longer support this product, so organizations that don’t migrate may encounter the following risks:

• No Future Updates: Even the most sophisticated software services encounter bugs that need to be fixed. After April 11, 2023, Microsoft will no longer be addressing these issues, which could significantly affect the stability and dependability of your SharePoint 2013 environment.
• Increased Security Risks: As the business world becomes increasingly dependent on creating, sharing, and accessing information in digital spaces, cybersecurity is as important as it has ever been. With SharePoint 2013 end of life, Microsoft no longer provides security fixes for vulnerabilities, which can make the server vulnerable to security breaches.
• Absence of Technical Support: Whenever organizations encounter technical issues with software services, they often rely on the support of IT professionals to fix the problem. As Microsoft Support shifts their support efforts to more recent versions of SharePoint, Microsoft will no longer provide technical support after the end-of-support date.

Ultimately, making your organization vulnerable to these risks may significantly hinder your business operations. Migrating to a new intranet service may seem like a daunting task, but it is important to prepare your organization for SharePoint 2013 end of life to mitigate these risks.

Why Migrating to SharePoint Online is the Best Option

To help you prepare for SharePoint 2013 end of life, the following options are available to you:

• Upgrade to SharePoint 2016 or 2019.
• Upgrade to SharePoint Server Subscription Edition.
• Migrate to SharePoint in Microsoft 365.

A migration to SharePoint Online is the best option for organizations looking to improve collaboration and communication, reduce user downtime, and improve security and compliance. SharePoint Online allows organizations to remain supported with the modern and always up-to-date Microsoft 365 suite.

Guidance from Experienced SharePoint Consultants

Migrating to SharePoint Online is a worthwhile investment to ensure the long-term health of your data and your operations. Download the flyer learn more about making the move to a modern, industry standard content management platform. Elantis has a Microsoft Gold-Certified team of enterprise content management experts who are here to help!