Microsoft courts enterprises with Windows 7
Take a look. We dare you
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Microsoft has shifted focus from consumers and has begun targeting major enterprises mostly running Windows XP by telling them to prepare for Windows 7.
The company's Windows team has advised enterprises to start testing and planning for Windows 7 now and to send Microsoft their feedback.
"If you haven't been considering Windows 7, we think there are compelling reasons for you to take another look," Windows product management team member Gavriella Schuster has blogged.
"We're convinced Windows 7 has [sic] an exciting and powerful offering for our business customers, but we want to hear from you," Schuster wrote.
Schuster used the blog to draw attention to planned Windows 7 features that should be of interest to customers.
These include changes in PC management, mobile, and security. Schuster called out scripting and automation capabilities in Windows PowerShell 2.0 she said would help trouble shoot and manage PCs, features such as BranchCache, Direct Access and search for mobile and remote working, and the inclusion of BitLocker to secure mobile machines and AppLocker to specify access rights through group policy.
Schuster framed the features using the usual set of marketing props of businesses need to reduce their costs and get improved return on investment, stunning insights patiently distilled from lengthy research among more than 4,000 of the company's customers.
The attempt to wake enterprise users to Windows 7 is curious given Microsoft has - officially at least - maintained its successor to Windows Vista is not in anyway shape or form finished and won't be ready for delivery any time this year.
Still, Microsoft faces an uphill task in shaking of enterprise inertia. Just over two years since Microsoft launched Windows Vista, less than 10 per cent of PCs in the enterprise are running the operating system. The majority are comfortable on the company's eight-year-old Windows XP.
Separately, Microsoft's chief executive Steve Ballmer told Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) attending their company's conference in Seattle, Washington that if they didn't move off Windows XP "they'd feel the wrath," according to attendees Twittering about the event. ®
COMMENTS
@Coming to a network near you soon
"I don't give a crap what any of you say but as soon as Windows 7 is released people will start to buy boxes and laptops with it on including in the enterprise.
I have been Beta testing Windows 7 in a corporate environment and preparing for it. It runs well on moderate hardware (unlike Vista) and supports our in-hose software."
Corporates buy hardware then image their standard operating environment onto it. What it comes with is wholly irrelevant.
Unless all of the corporates' specialist software runs on it from the get-go it ain't happening no matter how many chairs Balmy Balmer throws. This didn't happen with Vista because they ballsed the release up - any sign of it being right this time?
Most corporates also take the infamous sp1 stand-point. Whilst they don't want to be on an unsupported OS they don't want to be on the first cut either.
Corporates also have the option (at least where I've worked) of support for XP beyond normal road-maps courtesy of volume licensing and bespoke agreements. It's expensive but it can happen.
As I've stated before - try getting corporates to commit to massive outlay whilst they're hemorrhaging staff and cash in a downturn and see how well your company goes.
Vista = ME2
(1) business won't be bothered with W7 if they have to completely retrain their workforce to the new interface (yeah, you do that over a couple of years as you roll out 300K new PCs).
(2) Business won't be bothered with W7 unless all their apps work on it flawlessly. Doubt that's going to happen as they aren't working under Fista yet.
(3) business won't be able to upgrade (nor will you unless the announcements have changed in the last couple of days) over XP to W7. And no, they're not going to buy Fista licenses just to upgrade old PCs to Fista to make the jump to light speed....erm, I mean W7.
Thank you "feel the wrath..By Ray"...made my afternoon
New interface = FAIL, new UAC = FAIL, build on Vista = FAIL, less filling and faster = OK
Ballmer? He's not buying new PCs for everyone; he's not even got a good pricing plan; he's not got a clue. He'll get my XP when he pries it out of my cold, dead hands.
Re: (sic)
"We're convinced Windows 7 HAS an exciting and powerful offering for our business customers, but we want to hear from you," (don't see a problem. They're not selling just software, but a lfe-changing experience)
"We're convinced Windows 7 IS an exciting and powerful offering TO our business customers, but we want to hear from you," (and anyway, Windows is not an offering, it costs money)
"We're convinced Windows 7 WILL HAVE an exciting and powerful offering for our business customers, but we want to hear from you," (makes the last bit confusing and well, it's just.....yuck.)
IM(ES)HO, I would've bunged in a 'that' after 'convinced'. Also, I might have used a full stop instead of a comma (also in the preceeding paragraph). Call me old-fashioned.
Loving Windows 7, though!
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