Survey reveals 1/3 of UK organisations put off Windows 7 roll-out, but are they wise to wait?
Posted in Infrastructure on 13 April 2010 by
Data collected through a survey carried out by IT Services provider Plan-Net has shown that 42% of UK businesses are planning to roll out Windows 7 in the next 18 months. However the survey, of 100 IT decision makers in City-based businesses of over 250 users, discovered that 24% are waiting until 2011 to roll out the new OS while only 18% are either in the process or plan to start the transition in 2010. With only 6% of the surveyed organisations already using Windows 7 and a further 8% not making the leap for 2 to 3 years, a stunning 24% are not thinking about rolling out Windows 7 at all. Finally, 20% are still unsure of whether to make the leap and when.
According to Gartner, the process of a full-scale migration takes, on average, 12-18 months and with Microsoft stopping downgrade rights to XP on new Windows 7 machines in mid-2011, are these organisations wise to wait?
David Cowan, Head of Infrastructure Consulting at Plan-Net, examines the likely timeframes of a Windows 7 implementation for businesses of different sizes along with the possible problems, issues and concerns organisations might face during the inevitable roll-out - whether they begin in good time or alternatively, leave it too late...
"Planning changes is rather compelling at the moment, as many organisations have not invested in infrastructure or large projects for a couple of years. Only now they are beginning to plan their investments for the next 12-18 months, mostly driven towards upgrading ageing hardware, desktop refresh and storage solutions. But they can't wait any longer - according to Gartner the process of a full-scale migration takes, on average, 12-18 months, without taking into account the time needed to adopt and become accustomed to Best Practice change management processes if they are not yet in place. So if you are expecting to be involved in new business opportunities brought along by the London 2012 Olympics, for example, you should plan mid-2010 to avoid finding yourself halfway through a rollout when the time comes.
What is more, Gartner analysts appear to be pro-migration, advising Vista-traumatised users not to bypass Windows 7 like they did with its predecessor and early adopters have given it positive feedback. Perhaps more importantly, there do not seem to be too many other options - the scent of change is in the air, and Windows 7 is only the blastoff."
For more information, contact:Samantha SelviniPress Assistant, Plan-Net plcTel: 020 7632 7990Email: samantha.selvini@plan-net.co.uk