SQL Server 2005

[jamesray50]

I received an email today that a software program a company I work with uses needs to be upgraded because it uses SQL Server 2005 and Microsoft will stop supporting it in April 2016. The email came from the company that has been trying to get us to upgrade the software. What happens if we don't upgrade the software before Microsoft stops supporting SQL 2005? Will I still be able to use the software?

[Harold Mansfield]

Yes, you'll still be able to use it. It just means MS will not be putting out any new updates, or security patches..which is actually kind of important. There are people still running 2003, and MS does offer some paid support for older versions for companies still running them.

[Freelancier]

At this point, it's a decade after the software came out and it's worth considering an upgrade for the software just so that you keep getting security fixes. Same with the operating system on which the database server is running, since it's likely old as well.
The funny thing is that if it's not so mission critical that you can't afford to upgrade, there is a free edition of SQL Server that is just fine for that.

[jamesray50]

I don't really understand any of this tech stuff. It's a database program that we are going to eventually upgrade because it isn't compatible with Windows 10 or Office 2016. We have already upgraded to Office 2016 so features like exporting to Excel in the database won't work. We are looking into buying an industry specific software, but in the meantime will still use the database program. I just didn't know if we would experience any problems with it if the SQL Server 2005 was no longer supported. And believe me, I have been after the Executive Director to upgrade the datebase program. It is not very expensive, we have a support plan with the company we would purchase it from so they would do the upgrade for us. But, it's a non profit and they watch every single penny they spend.

[Harold Mansfield]

I don't really understand any of this tech stuff. It's a database program that we are going to eventually upgrade because it isn't compatible with Windows 10 or Office 2016. We have already upgraded to Office 2016 so features like exporting to Excel in the database won't work. We are looking into buying an industry specific software, but in the meantime will still use the database program. I just didn't know if we would experience any problems with it if the SQL Server 2005 was no longer supported. And believe me, I have been after the Executive Director to upgrade the datebase program. It is not very expensive, we have a support plan with the company we would purchase it from so they would do the upgrade for us. But, it's a non profit and they watch every single penny they spend.
With everything that you just said, it's going to cost more in inconvenience, and constantly struggling to patch things together to make it work, which it won't because SQL 2005 doesn't work with what you have. So by not upgrading you're wasting time and money, not saving it.

But I understand how hard it is to get people to see it that way.

[Freelancier]

Talk to the people who own the database program (or created it) and see if it'll work on "Express Edition". I'm guessing the answer will be "yes", so you can upgrade without purchasing anything.

[jamesray50]

I'll just tell him that my reliable sources say it won't work and we need to upgrade the database. I am not going to tell him there might be an express edition that it may work with. It is frustrating though when our priorities are different on what we spend our money on.

[Freelancier]

I'm mentioning the "Express Edition" because it's free. 100% free. So that might fit with their priorities.

[MyITGuy]

Since you are a non-profit, you can take advantage of Microsoft's donations via sites like Tech-Soup:
Microsoft Product Catalog (http://www.techsoup.org/microsoft-catalog)

$67 - SQL Server Standard - SQL Server Standard Edition (Server/CAL Licensing) (http://www.techsoup.org/products/sql-server-standard-edition-(server/cal-licensing)--LVS-47430--)
$16 - MS SQL CAL - SQL Server Device CAL (http://www.techsoup.org/products/sql-server-device-cal--LS-47544--)

This is quite a bit cheaper than the retail/volume license pricing at $1-3K for the Server and $150+ for the CAL's.

As an alternative, contact Microsoft Azure Billing Support to inquire about pricing for non-profits if you want to move your system to the "cloud".

[Harold Mansfield]

I'll just tell him that my reliable sources say it won't work and we need to upgrade the database. I am not going to tell him there might be an express edition that it may work with. It is frustrating though when our priorities are different on what we spend our money on.

I agree with that. Sometimes people will spend $1k trying to save $100 and still end up spending the $100.