Datasouth

7 Questions to ask your CIO about Windows 7

Wednesday, 18 June 2009

The technology landscape seems to constantly shift, but Microsoft’s Windows operating system still dominates computing infrastructure in most enterprises, large or small. That means the upcoming release of Windows 7 needs to be carefully assessed by any company where information technology is a strategic tool.

Operating systems tend to be dismissed as your information technology ‘plumbing’, but as they underpin most of the business applications that drive employee productivity, you can’t afford to ignore them. To help, here are seven questions you should ask your CIO or technology adviser about Windows 7.

Question one: Will it help improve employee productivity?
This is the bottom line for many enterprises. Windows 7 has the potential to help employees do a better job faster. Microsoft says they’ve “...made hundreds of little improvements and a few big ones that add up to a whole lot less. Less waiting, fewer clicks, and less complexity.” Early site testers point to a better search capability and new features for organising windows as key improvements.

Benchmarking tests done on Windows 7 Beta have shown it to be faster in areas like booting up and shutting down, loading and shifting files and undertaking typical office activities. All are small increments of time improvement but they add up considerably across a large organisation.

Question two: How much implementation pain will we suffer?
Operating system upgrades are fundamentally different from new application deployment, which can involve business process changes, significant user training and hardware upgrades. Depending on your upgrade path, most users will be able to self-train with little impact on productivity. Many organisations will be able to upgrade using their existing hardware configurations.

Question three: Can we get more out of existing applications?
In these tough economic times, most enterprises are very focussed on getting more out of their existing IT applications spend than buying or building new systems. Windows 7 supports this aim by providing enhanced driver and application compatibility, enabling a broader range of software applications and hardware to be used on the platform.

Question four: Will the IT team be able to deliver more to the business?
This is a major benefit of Windows 7. It can help your IT team enhance security, streamline the management of systems and manage remote workers.

It will improve a centralised IT teams’ ability to protect data on PCs and other devices on your network, and give them more control over what software runs on any users PC. That includes smart features like being able to create a single operating system image that can be deployed to multiple countries using multiple languages.

DirectAccess is a new feature that will make it cheaper and easier, but no less secure, for IT to give remote workers access to your corporate network.

Question five: Will it enhance the security of our information technology?
Windows 7 will help your IT team lock down the desktop more tightly, reducing the risk of employees unwittingly bringing threats into your network.

Microsoft has also improved the security of sensitive data on laptops and other remote machines. This includes features like forcing users to encrypt USB storage devices when used on the network.

Question six: Can it help us meet emerging IT trends?
Microsoft has done a lot of research during the development of Windows 7, so this release reflects many trends in enterprise IT. A key focus for Windows 7 is ongoing improvements to the ability of remote workers and other stakeholders to access corporate applications over the Internet.

Question seven: Should we upgrade to Windows 7?
Migrating to Windows 7 will deliver benefits. The exact pathway is dependent on a number of factors that differ from organisation to organisation. Datasouth can help your enterprise analyse its situation and design the optimal upgrade approach.

Datasouth specialises in the provision of technology solutions that assists organisations in enhancing their business by improved information flow and productivity. As an organisation that has been providing advice to government and corporate clients for over fifteen years, we can advise, design and implement solutions that truly provide a competitive edge and reduced cost structures.

To better understand how we may help you to drive your business forward, please contact Datasouth to discuss your specific requirements.