End User/Workforce

Windows 10: If Ever There Was a Future-Ready OS, This Is It

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In 2014, when Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced the company’s “Mobile First, Cloud First” strategy, he had future-ready enterprises in mind. He was also thinking about Windows 10, which was then in its late development stages and launched last July. Now, a year and about 350 million worldwide downloads later, it’s clear that if ever there was a future-ready OS, Windows 10 is it.

For both IT professionals and the users they support, Windows 10 is as much a technology leap forward as Windows 7 was to Windows XP. With new support for mobility and touch, plus back-end IT benefits including enhanced cloud-based services, Windows 10 should be a priority upgrade for future-ready enterprises everywhere, if they haven’t already implemented it.

Gartner: Windows 10 adoption “fastest yet”

Gartner predicts Windows 10 adoption to be the “fastest yet” compared to previous major Windows upgrades.[1] It forecasts that at least 50 percent of enterprises will start production rollouts in 2017 and cites several driving factors:

  • Support for more user-centric computing, plus cross-device compatibility with PCs, 2-in-1s, tablets, smartphones and even game consoles.
  • Interoperability with Windows 7 applications helps to reduce migration costs and pains.
  • End of Microsoft’s support for Windows 7 in 2020 requires most large enterprises to start the migration process soon, so their transition of users and applications is complete by then.
  • Touch-optimized apps keep growing in numbers, with touchscreens expected to ship on a third of all laptops by 2018, as their cost keeps dropping.

Another driver will certainly be consumer adoption of Windows 10. This means enterprises can expect rising expectations among their employees that they should have the same user experiences at work as they do at home — amplified by the continuing BYOD trend.

Future ready: Stay competitive and ahead of the pack

In the workplace, the user-centric enhancements in Windows 10 promise to help boost employee productivity, collaboration and responsiveness to customers and to each other. In turn, Windows 10 will help future-ready enterprises execute faster, while becoming more responsive and agile to market opportunities. As a result, they can become more competitive than enterprises that adopt a wait-and-see posture.

This competitive advantage — multiplied across hundreds if not thousands of employees — can help turbocharge organizational performance and produce potentially game-changing results in industry positioning. But this competitive edge won’t last forever, so the sooner enterprises deploy Windows 10, the sooner they can take advantage of it and also start realizing their return on the investment in what’s required to migrate to Windows 10.

Windows 10: Important dates to help your planning

For Dell enterprise customers, here are some important dates to keep in mind regarding Windows 10 deployments on Dell hardware:

  • On November 1, 2016, all new Dell systems will be shipped with Windows 10. Only Microsoft Volume License customers will be eligible to purchase systems with Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 preloaded after October 31, 2016 through Dell Global Configuration Services.
  • For customers with Microsoft Volume License agreements and downgrade rights, a Windows 10 downgrade to Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 will continue to be available through Dell Global Configuration Services with a valid Microsoft Volume License. However, PCs must be ordered by September 23, 2016 to ensure the best pricing and selection, especially large orders. After that, quantities and selection will be limited.
  • For customers without Microsoft Volume License agreements, October 31, 2016 is the last day Dell can ship systems with Windows 7 and 8.1 factory-installed per Microsoft requirements. Also, note that September 23, 2016 is the last day to order Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 Downgrade to Windows 7/Windows 8.1 and still be able to get the best pricing and selection, especially for large orders.

Keep your competitive edge with a future-ready workforce. Find out more here. And, to help, equip your employees with Dell’s latest gear, such as a Latitude 13 7000 Series laptop, the world’s lightest business-class ultrabook; the XPS 13 laptop, the world’s smallest; or the Precision 5000 (5510) Series mobile workstation, big performance in a small, lightweight form factor.

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[1] Gartner, Inc., “Gartner Says Migration to Windows 10 Will Be the Fastest Yet,” November 23, 2015.

About the Author: Sam Miller

Sam Z Miller serves as Vice President, Inside Sales for Dell’s North America Commercial business consisting of small and medium business commercial, public education and government customers. In this role, Sam is responsible for leading sales teams, driving a winning internal and customer culture, and operationalizing Dell’s strategy to enable growth. With 15 years of experience at Dell, Sam has a deep expertise of working closely and strategically with customers, partners and team members. His passion for his people and customers success is the foundation of the culture of his organization. With a focus on talent and experience of building world-class teams, Sam is well equipped to lead Inside Sales. In his previous role, he was Executive Director, Inside Sales for Dell’s Preferred Accounts Division and Emerging Business Division for four years. Other roles within Dell include Regional Sales Director, NAC SMB Acquisition and US Medium Business Sales for 6 years, various sales leadership roles, Account Executive within GCC and almost every inside sales role. Inspirational Leadership and talent development is a key priority for Sam and he is committed to building an inclusive and diverse multi-channel organization that puts the customer first.