Micrsoft will not provide technical assistance and security updates for Windows XP after April 8, which will make computers that use the XP system vulnerable to cyber attacks.

The “demise” of Windows XP will have the greatest impact on China because it has about 200 million XP users, who make up about 70 percent of the PC market. Microsoft’s decision to “kill” Windows XP, a product with hundreds of millions of users, has to a certain degree demonstrated its strong position in the operating system market and exposed the vulnerability of Chinese users for lack of an indigenously developed operating system.

But, at the same time, the “death” of XP has created opportunities for China’s IT companies to grow and develop. In fact, shortly after Microsoft announced the “demise” of XP, some Chinese IT security providers promised to offer defense solutions for XP users who do not switch to a new system.

Information security is crucial for the IT industry, and the key to safeguarding information is possessing the core technology, which very much depends on innovation.

Although China has some well-known IT companies, it still does not have the core technology to develop an operating system, which can be blamed on lack of innovation. Therefore, only by mastering information technology and adhering to a policy that encourages innovation can China break the monopoly of international IT giants and ensure cyber security.