Microsoft has stopped supporting Windows 2000 Server and has also reduced support for Windows Server 2003.
Microsoft announced on the Help and Support page of its official website that all public support services for the Windows 2000 Server operating system have been discontinued on Tuesday. Windows 2000 Server customers will only have access to self-service online support, including access to FAQs and community support forums.
In addition, Microsoft has withdrawn Windows Server 2003 from mainstream support services, but customers can still receive security updates and use paid support services until 2015.
However, some security patches will only be available to customers who have purchased Extended Hotfix Support. According to information on the FAQ page of Microsoft's support life policy, Microsoft will no longer modify the design and functionality of the software.
According to market research firm eDigitalResearch, upgrading from Windows Server 2003 to a later version of the software such as Windows Server 2008 can be costly.
Shane Wright, technical director at EDigitalResearch, said on Tuesday: "The cost here is not the license fee, but the administrative cost of switching to a different server configuration is too great."
That cost includes test servers, certification, regression, performance and compatibility testing, Wright said.