Windows 8
Last week saw the launch of Microsoft’s latest operating system (OS), Windows 8. The OS has a completely new look and user interface and is designed to be used on desktop and laptops PCs and also Microsoft’s new Surface tablet devices and mobile phones.
What this means is that even more employees will be coming to work and expecting their company’s IT department to implement and support the new software. Not only will this mean a steep learning curve for the hard-pressed folk in the IT department, as they learn how to use it, but also as they work out a way of fitting systems running the software with their existing IT infrastructure efficiently and securely.
Businesses large and small will need to evaluate their IT strategy as new systems come on to the network and interact with Windows 7, iOS and MacOS systems too. Then there’s the issue that many companies still have machines running both Windows Vista and Windows XP. In fact in one recent survey, by the security company Avast, nearly 30% of companies said that they had machines running either Vista or XP, now that’s a security risk.
But then is it wise to jump into something new when it hasn’t been proven yet? Many companies don’t think so. In the very same survey, nearly 80% said they weren’t going to rush out and buy a new PC in order to get the new OS.
If you are considering changing your systems, maybe now is the time to think about the way that your company, as a whole, works. Why just replace one Windows installation with another? Why not consider something different such as implementations like Google apps or the Chrome OS? On face of it this may seem to be more of a jump than going from Windows 7 to 8, but it needn’t be. With the right setup and support it’s nowhere near as hard as it might first sound.
If you do stick with Microsoft though, there’s no doubt about it Windows 8 will be the future. You just need to look at how well entrenched Microsoft is in the business market to know that. With Windows 8 it will be a matter of when, not if, you just need to make the right preparations first or think different as someone once said.
