As a grocery retailer whose point-of-sale system depends on either Microsoft Windows or Windows Server, the recently announced cumulative update for Windows 10 will impact your operations. Will it affect your NCR ENCOR POS system? Do you need to worry about hardware or software issues? Will you have to invest any time or money in this upgrade?
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To help answer these questions and put your mind at rest, we’ve prepared this list of Frequently Asked Questions, so you’ll know how the update will or will not affect you.
What is the Windows 10 update?
The Windows 10 update is necessary to bring the Windows 10 operating system (OS) up to date, as well as to improve overall security of the operating system. Any computer running the Windows 10 OS should be updated. That could include your server, point of sale lanes, and computers running the point of sale software.
Is this primarily an OS upgrade? What does it have to do with the NCR ENCOR?
This is strictly an upgrade to the Windows 10 OS and doesn’t make any changes to the software of the ENCOR POS system. However, any performance gains (or losses) the update brings to the operating system may also impact performance of ENCOR POS.
What does the update do?
This update ensures you’ll have the most current software available on your server and computers. You’ll have improved security patches, fewer vulnerabilities, updated antivirus protection in built-in programs, and everything else that comes with the update. You may also notice an increase in performance due to more efficient operation.
How will it impact operation of hardware and software?
If your system has up-to-date hardware and software, there should be little to no impact. However, if you’re running an older operating system, such as Windows 7, you’ll need to make plans to upgrade to the Windows 10 OS. And if your hardware is older—say, four or five years or more—you may need to make upgrades to it to run Windows 10. Note also that it may be necessary to replace older equipment that cannot meet the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 10.
If the update does not change ENCOR POS, is it required?
While the Windows 10 update doesn’t make changes to the ENCOR POS system, it is required to stay PCI compliant. Part of being PCI compliant includes having current supported versions of software and security patches. To maintain the security of your customer and sales data, best practices indicate you should schedule the update.
Another important thing to remember is the safety of your customers. If your OS is out of date, and you have a breach or data loss, you’ll be held accountable. If you’re concerned with protecting your customers, it’s vital to make sure operating systems are updated.
When is the update required?
While you’ll want to update your systems as soon as possible to ensure PCI compliance and enhance general stability and security, systems running an earlier version of Windows 10 do not have a hard date to meet. However, if you have systems still running a version of Windows 7, they should be updated to Windows 10 by January 2020, which is when Microsoft officially ends support for that operating system.
Should I be concerned about Windows 7 End of Support?
If your POS and servers are not already running Windows 10, yes. At some point, applications may encounter problems or stop running on Windows 7. That includes POS 87, the embedded operating system that runs on point-of-sale lines, support for which ends in October 2021.
When that happens, you’ll no longer be able to get support or additional security patches for those systems. Many application vendors can’t adequately maintain applications on an unsupported operating system, and then you’ll be forced to upgrade. Depending on how many servers and PCs you have that need hardware or software upgrades, it could be an expensive upgrade to do all at once. It’s always better to take action on your own, rather than having it forced upon you at a less than convenient time, so it’s a good idea to start planning now.
TRUNO can evaluate your current POS system to see if you need to upgrade for your PCI compliance.
