Another operating system has hit retirement age, but it won't be collecting any kind of support. Windows Server 2012 and the R2 release reached End of Life on October 10th, 2023.
Server 2012 marked the first shift away from the old school server OS and tried to make things more useful and easier to get to. Server 2008 and Windows 7 were released at similar times and were reminicent of each other, and likewise Server 2012 and Windows 8, were in the same vein.
Server 2012 brought some visual changes much like Windows 8, but without the torches and pitchforks that came with being forced into a tablet-style interface like its desktop counterpart. Thankfully Windows 10 and now 11 have brought desktop users back to sanity, if you don't count the inclusion of AI elements to the OS.
Server 2012 and R2 brought much needed stability to a glitch-prone Server 2008, at least in my experience. I certainly don't miss frequent BSOD (blue screen of death) issues and forced reboots!
But, as with all things, there comes a time to say farewell and look to the future. And so it is that time with Server 2012 and Server 2012 R2. We thank you for your years of service.
If you have an aging server running Server 2012 or (gasp!) something older, get in touch with Ryan at My NetWORKS, and I can help you plan a server migration and get your business back in compliance, or at least on hardware that you aren't afraid will crash if you look at it too sternly!