Migrating to Windows 7?
Given the official release of Microsoft Windows 7, you may be pondering an operating system migration for your company. Migrating your entire company is never quick and easy.
Being personally been involved in migrating environments from Windows 95 all of the way to up to the current evolution of Windows (Windows 7), there has never been a time where it went 100% transitionally smooth. Some of the major aspects of consideration before migrating are:
- Cost vs. Value. It is very common for businesses to have older computers in place. Often these systems are out of warranty. It costs money and resources to upgrade each computer. Be careful how much time and money you spend on an older system. Purchasing a computer new with the new operating system may be a better investment.
- End user training. A typical soft-cost that is often overlooked is the time involved in retraining staff and loss of productivity during this process. New operating systems mean new look, feel, and functionality. Training is a very real cost. Oftentimes this cost is hard to estimate since some users are more technically savvy than others. Many users are resistant to change – especially on their computers.
- Application compatibility. Software writers like to take their time in making sure they have a version of their product that is compatible with the latest version of the operating system. Just because a new version of Windows is out, doesn’t mean your business applications will work on it. Discuss migration issues with your software vendors before making the switch.
- Licensing costs. Be sure to discuss with your IT provider the best ways to purchase your operating systems and licensing as there are many discount programs available.
With appropriate planning in place, a successful OS migration can be done in as little as a weekend with minor support required starting Monday morning. Without the proper planning, however, you will experience major business interruptions, loss of time, money, and productivity. Speak to a good Michigan computer services firm before taking the dive. Executing operating system upgrades is a requirement for any business and you can’t put them off indefinitely. Put in the appropriate time and resources with a trusted technology partner and you will find the potential pitfalls of making this major change will be minimal.
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