It may seem surprising how slowly many companies upgrade their OS, but if you contemplate all of the planning that must go into it, it makes sense. Windows 8 is coming out later this year, and many organizations have not even deployed Windows 7 yet. This is definitely a thing that business owners should look into doing soon as Microsoft has said they will no longer provide formal support for Windows XP after April 2014. So, if businesses that want to be able to access that support, they will need to begin the deployment process in the near future.
Analyze hardware and compatibility
To begin this process, the first thing a company must do, is analyze the hardware on the machines to be sure they can run Window’s 7. Also, the programs that are currently installed on the machines may not be compatible with Windows 7. There are ways that an IT department or MSP can find this out.
What OS images to deploy
The next step to take before deploying a new OS is to figure out what applications you need on your computers and the order they should be installed in. Should you install all of the current applications at the same time as the OS? Should you take the time to evaluate which applications are essential to what departments and only install the essential ones after installing the OS? The second option is probably the best, as it lets users to then install whatever programs they believe will be useful later and it quickens the deployment process.
Choosing the right image deployment tool
The last step in this process is for your IT department or MSP provider to decide what tool they wish to use to deploy the system. There are many tools they can choose from; Windows Deployment Service and Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2012 are a couple.
Upgrading your company to a new OS is a process that must be planned for. If you are planning on upgrading to Windows 7 or another operating system, make sure that you contact the right people who will help you through this process without too much stress.
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