Changes in support for SQL Server 2000 and SQL Server 2005.

There are some important support changes coming up for Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and SQL Server 2005. To avoid risk of running unsupported products, you need to choose the right version of SQL Server for your business.






What will change:

SQL Server 2000

On 4/9/2013, Extended Support for SQL Server 2000 will come to an end, and SQL Server 2000 will no longer be supported. After this date:

• Updates to this software will stop and so you will no longer receive patches including security updates.
• Self-Help Online Support will be available for a minimum of 12 months.

SQL Server 2005

On 4/12/2011, SQL Server 2005 will transition from Mainstream Support to Extended Support, which includes:

• Paid support (charged on an hourly basis per incident). Customers will no longer receive no-charge incident support and warranty claims, and won’t be able to request design changes or features. 
• Security update support at no additional cost.
• Non-security related hotfix support will require a separate Extended Hotfix Support Agreement to be purchased within 90 days of the end of Mainstream Support – July 11th, 2011.

More information about these support changes can be found here.
Contact your software vendor to ask if they sell the so called 'Runtime' license of SQL Server. A Runtime license is much cheaper than a full license (up to 40%). Both license versions have exactly the same functionality. There is only a difference in the applications you are going to use with SQL Server. The Microsoft SQL Server Runtime license allows a customer to use SQL Server only with the vendors applications. The customer is restricted from using this SQL Server software to run other applications or to develop new applications, databases, or tables. So if you uses your SQL server with only applications of software vendor X, you can buy a run time license from software vendor X.