It might seem surprising how slowly many companies upgrade their OS, but when you think about all of the planning that should go into it, it makes sense. Windows 8 is coming out later this year, and many companies have not even deployed Windows 7 yet. This is definitely something that business owners should consider doing soon as Microsoft has said they will no longer offer 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 implementation process in the near future.
Analyze hardware and compatibility
Business IT departments or Manage Service Providers will first need to evaluate the hardware’s ability to run Windows 7. One of the ways businesses can do this is by using the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 7.0 to perform an assessment of their current equipment. Manage Service Providers will need to determine if a company’s applications will work with Windows 7.
What OS images to deploy
The next phase to take before deploying a new OS is to determine 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 figure out what 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 allows users to then install whatever programs they think will be useful later and it quickens the deployment process.
Choosing the right image deployment tool
Once these things have been done, the final step in the process is for your MSP to choose which tool they want to use. There are many tools a company can use to deploy the Windows 7 image. A couple being: Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2012 and System Center Configuration Manager 2007 or 2012. All of these tools have different advantages and disadvantages that ought to be taken into account.
Upgrading to Windows 7, then, is a process that takes meticulous planning. Fortunately, those businesses who use MSPs or their IT departments to plan their deployment will boost their odds of a stress-free deployment.