According to a new Unisys online poll of 124 IT professionals, 62% said that their companies had plans to migrate to Windows 7 - with 36% likely moving within 6 to 12 months. In Unisys' view, IT executives need to look beyond the migration itself to consider the new management challenges and benefits Windows 7 affords them. For example, they must capitalize on the the innovative support automation features of Windows 7 not only to save money, but also to help information workers resolve service events quickly and remain productive through anywhere, anytime access to the desktop environment.
According to Sam Gross, vice president, Global IT Outsourcing Solutions at Unisys, as enterprise workforces become more mobile, Unisys is seeing greater diversity in the technologies information workers use for business productivity. "For example, Apple iPhones are increasingly used as primary business tools," he tells 5 Minute Briefing. "Still, Microsoft technology - especially the Windows operating system - remains the dominant enterprise productivity environment. And Windows 7 provides the best usability, manageability and supportability of any version of Windows so far." Unisys conducted the poll, he explains, to gauge IT professionals' commitment to deploying this enhanced environment to help make workers more productive and reduce IT management costs. "In this economy, empowering workers to be more productive and cutting costs is a key imperative for any organization."
Unisys was impressed by the respondents' strong interest in adopting Windows 7. "Sixty-two percent said that their companies had plans to migrate to Windows 7, and 36% said that they were likely to do so within 6 to 12 months. Another 12% said that they would move within 12 to 24 months. Because IT organizations often take a cautious approach to being on the leading edge in adopting newer technologies, that sentiment speaks to the value that the respondents see in making the first desktop OS migration that most companies have undertaken in 7 years," says Gross.
According to Gross, the results weren't so much surprising as indicative of IT organizations' clear appreciation of the value that Windows 7 can bring. For example, he points out, end-user support automation is an important aspect of improving efficiency for both the IT department and the mobile workforce. "If you can automate commonly occurring tasks, such as desktop provisioning and software patching, you minimize lost employee productivity and give those employees extra time to focus on more strategic work that can bring value to the organization. Windows 7 helps enable a new level of automation to end-user services through its scripting language, PowerShell 2.0. This makes it easier to solve frequently occurring problems more quickly and accurately. Windows 7 also enables enhanced security and control for both physical and virtual assets; stronger compliance and protection of desktop resources; and seamless mobile and remote experiences for users connecting to enterprise networks, data and tools. It really enhances anytime, anywhere access to business-critical information and resources."
But even for IT organizations that are very familiar with the Windows environment, deploying and managing a powerful new iteration of the technology is hardly a trivial undertaking, Gross emphasizes. "Unisys has a unique combination of service capabilities to help enterprise clients make the transition to Windows 7 successfully and economically. We can help them assess the benefits of the deployment, plan it and implement it. Of course, Unisys End-User Productivity Services enable IT organizations to give end users the means to get the most out of Windows 7. These services include advanced desktop management, including image and electronic software distribution; device diagnostic and remediation tools; self-service portals for access to support and technology procurement; cloud-based messaging, collaboration, desktop support, and application management solutions; and hosted desktop via Unisys Secure Cloud Solution. These services help ensure that i-workers have anywhere, anytime access to the powerful Windows 7 productivity environment."
For more on Unisys End-User Productivity Services, go here.