Running an unsupported version of SQL Server isn’t just a performance problem, it’s a security and compliance one. Once a version passes end of extended support, Microsoft stops releasing security patches for it entirely, so every vulnerability discovered from that point on stays unpatched on your server indefinitely.
If you’re on SQL Server 2014 or earlier, you’re already well past that point. SQL Server 2016 passed end of extended support in July 2026, and SQL Server 2017 follows in October 2027 — so if either of those is still running in your environment, now is the time to plan your next move.
Moving off an older version also means you can take advantage of the performance, security, and functionality improvements Microsoft has shipped since, from better query optimisation to high availability features that didn’t exist in earlier releases.
Our Approach
We manage the full migration or upgrade process end to end:
- Discover — mapping your existing SQL Server environment, dependencies, and current version footprint.
- Plan — understanding your future requirements and designing the target SQL Server topology to match.
- Build — standing up the new environment to the agreed design.
- Migrate or Upgrade — moving your existing databases and workloads across to the new environment, with a plan for minimal downtime.
This same process applies whether you’re moving to new on-premises hardware, or migrating to SQL Server on Azure. If licensing is a factor in your decision, and for a major version change it usually is, we can fold a licensing review into the same engagement. Once you’re on the new environment, we can also help with performance tuning to make sure you’re getting the most out of it, or provide ongoing DBA support to keep it that way.