<p>While spring may seem far away for those who just finished shoveling the driveway after yet another snowfall, April will be here sooner than we think. On Apr. 8, 2014, Microsoft will no longer support Exchange 2003, its decade-old email software continues to be used by more than 66 million people around the world.</p><p>When this April deadline comes, Microsoft will no longer release patches to address security issues with Exchange 2003, leaving it open to vulnerabilities that could sink unprepared small businesses.</p><p>According to Intermedia president Michael Gold, while the issue is straightforward, many small businesses and organizations have yet to make the switch to a newer email software.</p><p>"The reason why it is a big issue is there are over 66 million users still on this old software," Gold says. "They're going to be completely vulnerable without the support. Plus, the world has changed: Exchange 2003 is from the pre-mobile, pre-cloud era and the last couple versions of Exchange enable so much more feature and functionality, security and so on. With the mobile workforce and Exchange being so important it's just a lot different."</p><p><a href="http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/smbs-continue-use-microsoft-exchange-2003-april-deadline-looms">Keep reading...</a></p>