10 out of 10 for Windows 10?

The most widely used operating system on the planet recently celebrated its 4th birthday – and Windows 10 has already achieved a lot. The Modern Workplace team look at the benefits and some of the reasons why organisation should upgrade.

Windows 10 has always been big news. Put simply, it’s a popular, respected and very modern operating system that takes many of the good things from its predecessors and makes them better. Compatibility is just one of the major positives. As Windows 10 is the most widely used operating system in the world, it’s only natural that apps are designed to be compatible. Plus, if anything doesn’t work natively, Windows 10 has got the benefit of built-in compatibility modes for Windows 8, 7, Vista and XP.

Familiar features such as the Start menu and taskbar have transferred from Windows 7, having been absent in Windows 8. And while it may be familiar, Windows 10 is also flexible – a continually developing operating system that’s designed for updates. The increase in regularity of updates also reflects the transition to the cloud age. Windows 10, unlike any previous versions of Windows, can integrate seamlessly with Microsoft’s cloud products, as well as rival options. And as more computing goes to the cloud, the more useful this integration will become.

You’re probably aware that if your customers are using Windows 7, the security landscape will soon be changing. That’s because on 14th January 2020, extended support will come to an end.

So, what should Windows 7 users do about it?

Purchasing new devices designed for Windows 10 is one way of upgrading and can save businesses money in the long run due to reduced running costs. Alternatively, Windows 7 users can upgrade their device software, which is a simple process that takes just a few minutes per machine.

Whatever choice is made, it’s vital that businesses are prepared and understand the situation they could find themselves in. In other words, your customers need a plan that consists of three stages you can work with them on:

• ASSESS: Undertake a discovery and inventory of your customers’ operating system and identify what needs to be upgraded or addressed
• MIGRATE: Analyse your customers’ workloads and determine the best path to migration
• OPTIMISE: Fine-tune your customers’ path to migration by optimizing their costs, resources, security and compliance