Companies already transitioning to Windows 7 right now For those in this group, they should really continue doing what they are doing – for the most part. Microsoft is touting Windows 8 as an option that is worth considering on a case-by-case basis for many business users. These two platforms are extremely close in compatibility, they say, and that means that Windows 8 might be good for tablets and other areas where mobility and touch are necessary. Having a plan to handle and adopt Windows 8 might be good for businesses that accept “Bring Your Own Device” policies as well.
Businesses already on Windows 7
They don’t necessarily say that you should upgrade everything to Windows 8 if you already have Windows 7 on all your business devices. Again, if your organization can benefit from added Windows 8 apps and touch-capabilities, do it. They also say it might be a good idea to do side-by-side adoption for certain scenarios.Those still on Windows XP
Microsoft makes it clear that support for XP is almost over and now is the time to move on. Customers on XP need to evaluate their needs. How important is touch and apps to the business? Microsoft seems to suggest side-by-side adoption here as well. In the past, Microsoft would probably have said to go with the newest version of Windows, so this is interesting. The point is that some users might not need the new interface on the desktop but others will really benefit from the added features. Considering that Windows 8 runs better on older hardware than Windows XP, I’d say that Microsoft really should have recommended Windows 8 for those that aren’t tossing out their aging Windows XP machines. Just my two cents.Businesses on Windows Vista
Strangely enough, Microsoft says that Vista users should just jump to Windows 8. Why recommend a full migration to Windows 8 for Vista users but not XP users? I personally have no clue.Summing it up…
So what do we get by reading into this business advice post from Microsoft? Those who are negative might say that Microsoft isn’t being confident with Windows 8 by pushing it and only it. I disagree. Microsoft is releasing Windows 8 in order to transition to a new mobile-centric world. That being said, they are understanding enough to realize that this might not work for some customers just yet. That’s okay. Move on to the newest OS at your own pace. Side-by-side adoption makes a lot of sense considering the strong similarities between Windows 7 and Windows 8. I’m interested to see how well Windows 8 fits into the enterprise. There is a lot of potential here, that much I’m sure of. While I hit the basics of the Microsoft Blog post, it does go a bit deeper and is worth reading. What do you think, if you were (or are) a business, which platform would you roll out to your employees?]]>Article Categories:
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