I wrote a book called The Windows 7 Deployment Guide and as a result, I am initmately familiar with the business benefits of Windows 7.
In my opinion, the operating system is hands down the most stable and intuitive masteriece that Microsoft has put together.
Easy and reliable, the operating system (in my opinion) is much more attractive than Windows Xp or certainly Windows Vista.
In light of what I have just said, I am very surprised that the business benefits of Windows 7 have not been marketed as effectively as they could have.
How many people reading this can tell me about:
- DirectAccess: Give mobile users seamless access to corporate networks without a need to VPN.
- BranchCache: Decrease the time branch office users spend waiting to download files across the network.
- Federated Search: Find information in remote repositories, including SharePoint sites, with a simple user interface.
- BitLocker and BitLocker To Go: Help protect data on PCs and removable drives, with manageability to enforce encryption and backup of recovery keys.
- AppLocker: Specify what software is allowed to run on a user’s PCs through centrally managed but flexible Group Policies.
???
Now, a lot of techies read my blogs (about 6 million a year) and I bet most of you dont even know those features…
A lot of these features are awesome but I havent seen any ads for Windows 7 Enterprise that shout these benefits from the rooftops. I have however seen lots of Windows Server banner and TV ads that scream about Virtualization, Hyper-V and VM’s all day long.
Now why do I care? Several reasons…
First, I am an online marketing professional so marketing and the way things are marketed (or not marketed in this case) actually is interesting to me.
Second, I still have a bet (for $500) with my buddy that 10 Fortune 500 companies will have deployed Windows 7 by this summer and at this time, I can only identify six. Efforts to get Microsoft to comment have been met with PR spin and silence. I’m not sure why.
Third, I write about Operating Systems’ and in light of the puzzling silence about how Windows 7 is doing in the Enterprise, it makes me wonder how companies will receive Windows 8.
In fact, the silence around Windows 7 Enterprise only makes me wonder if large businesses are not buying the ROI story of Windows 7 and are choosing to stick with Windows XP.
If that is the case and large businesses are still resistant to Windows 7, that does not bode well for Windows 8 Enterprise.
You guys tell me.. I have one question..Do you think Microsoft has promoted Windows 7 enterprise well enough?
All Comments
You’re right. I see Hyper V everywhere and I never see anything about the other things you mentioned. Let us know if you ever hear back about the enterprise customers.
Never did.