Most ATMs in America run off Windows XP, which is a 12-year-old operating system rarely seen on computers these days. Windows is now forcing ATM owners to upgrade to Windows 7 because the company will no longer support the XP operating system after April 8, 2014.
This announcement has sent banks and business owners into panic mode as they strive to get their computer systems up to date. With the 420,000 ATMs in the United States, 95% of which run on XP, the scramble to update is nothing shy of overwhelming.
Windows is making companies upgrade their systems because of the need to prevent against hacking and other forms of credit card fraud. Windows 7 allows for better security and better monitoring of potential threats.
Windows has extended the deadline to July 14, 2015 for updates to antimalware software, but it has not changed the end-of-support date. This means that companies will still be able to get some help after April 8th, but not the full support they receive now.
Some ATM providers have solutions that will simply replace their current systems to upgrade to Windows 7. Other providers will have to individually upgrade their machines. All of this is ultimately meant to serve the customers better, but the transition might prove to be a struggle.