No enterprise relishes a major software upgrade, especially ones as consequential as a primary operating system and productivity app platform. But with the door closing on key support options for older Microsoft Windows and Office solutions, there’s no time like the present for organizations to green-light a migration that will repower their workforce for modern, secure computing.
Support options for Windows 7 are ending in January 2020, which by itself should serve as a catalyst to pull the trigger on migration to Windows 10. Yet enterprises should not see this inflection point as a draconian force for upgrading, but rather as an opportunity to raise the productivity bar by delivering a modern user experience with built-in security controls that earn the trust of IT and end users alike.
There’s no question that outdated systems expose enterprises to a wide array of security threats, including malware, data hacks, and ransomware. The security landscape has changed dramatically since Windows 7 first came on the scene, and one of the hallmarks of Windows 10 is a comprehensive portfolio of intelligent security capabilities. Among the more prominent additions: Protection against advanced targeted threats; defense against malware, phishing, or user downloads of potentially malicious files; and exploit protection. Windows 10 also includes native, full-drive encryption for mitigating unauthorized data access along with a biometric facial recognition tool that eliminates the need for passwords.
“Windows 10 has been designed with modern attacks and methods in mind,” says Brad Anderson, Microsoft Corporate Vice President, Enterprise Experiences and Management.
Easing the Management Burden
An enterprise OS upgrade can be fraught with complexity, but Windows 10 aims to ease the management burden through widespread use of analytics. Collective intelligence culled from 800 million PCs connected to Microsoft cloud services helps to identify and remediate issues in order to reduce downtime, minimize application incompatibilities, and ensure the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO).
For example, to address common bandwidth and downtime issues typically associated with frequent patching and updating, Windows 10 employs sophisticated peer-caching capabilities that allow content to be sourced from local network devices rather than the traditionally time-intensive model of downloading from a centralized, remote server.
Another longstanding deterrent to an enterprise OS upgrade is application compatibility—an issue that Microsoft has addressed extensively with the Windows 10 platform. In addition to automated compatibility and integration testing, which saves IT countless hours of manual work, Microsoft’s Desktop App Assure service provides application remediation services at no additional cost as part of the subscription service.
Enterprise operating system upgrades are notoriously hard, which makes them easy to put off because the timing never feels quite right. Yet with Windows 10, the upside of delivering a modern and secure environment that enhances employee productivity, rivals the accessibility of personal devices, and takes the sting out of longstanding IT management challenges outweighs any possible inconvenience.
Learn more to plan your shift to Microsoft 365.