ESG Research indicates a major desktop OS transition in 2010 For the last few years, I used Windows Vista on my laptop PC and felt like it was pretty good. I guess I was part of a small minority – most organization eschewed Vista and stuck with tried-and-true XP.Now that Windows 7 is out, it appears like the tides have turned. According to ESG Research, 44% of SME (i.e. organizations with less than 1,000 employees) and enterprise (i.e. organizations with more than 1,000 employees) will conduct a signficant upgrade from older versions of Windows to Windows 7 in 2010. By the end of 2011, 60% of large and small organizations will conduct a signficant upgrade to Windows 7. For the purposes of this research, ESG defined the term “significant upgrade” as at least 25% of total PCs. That’s a lot of PCs!These upgrades will take place across the board: small and large companies, vertical industries, etc. Regardless of what you thought about Windows Vista, it is clearly time to move on. ESG believes that the impending massive migration to Windows 7 means:1. A lot of user training. Companies must budget for training and prepare users and business managers for this requirement. Smart companies will refresh use knowledge about security while they have the opportunity. Services and training companies should be very busy.2. Increased utilization of the Windows infrastructure. Windows 7 will open the door to lots of Windows server functionality. Smart CIOs will explore options like Network Access Protection (NAP), server and domain isolation, server core, Active Directory group policies, etc.3. A new opportunity for virtualization technology. Rather than test and rollout applications for Windows 7, large organizations may choose application virtualization technologies from Citrix, Microsoft, or VMware instead. The Windows 7 upgrade could also be used as an opportunity to make two changes at once (i.e. Windows 7 and desktop virtualization) or to create a few solid corporate desktop images for future virtualization plans.XP was a great version of Windows but it was first released in 2001 so many organiations are moving on. IT managers and technology vendors should prepare for this inevitability by viewing Windows 7 as invitation to train users, bolster security, take advantage of Windows functionality, and sell complementary products and services. Related content analysis 5 things security pros want from XDR platforms New research shows that while extended detection and response (XDR) remains a nebulous topic, security pros know what they want from an XDR platform. By Jon Oltsik Jul 07, 2022 3 mins Intrusion Detection Software Incident Response opinion Bye-bye best-of-breed? ESG research finds that organizations are increasingly integrating security technologies and purchasing multi-product security platforms, changing the industry in the process. By Jon Oltsik Jun 14, 2022 4 mins Security Software opinion SOC modernization: 8 key considerations Organizations need SOC transformation for security efficacy and operational efficiency. Technology vendors should come to this year’s RSA Conference with clear messages and plans, not industry hyperbole. By Jon Oltsik Apr 27, 2022 6 mins RSA Conference Security Operations Center opinion 5 ways to improve security hygiene and posture management Security professionals suggest continuous controls validation, process automation, and integrating security and IT technologies. By Jon Oltsik Apr 05, 2022 4 mins Security Practices Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe