Enterprise IT: Navigating Microsoft Windows 7 migrations

Most enterprises are facing a daunting question: when to undertake a Microsoft Windows 7 migration? An operating system migration can be challenging, time consuming, and costly. Many organizations intend to migrate to Windows 7 immediately. Others are holding back.

In any case, enterprises will set about building plans to migrate to Windows 7 because it promises the productivity, reliability, performance and security enhancements they need. Many want to stay in compliance with Microsoft support policies and migrate away from older OS versions. So how do you minimize the risks of Windows 7 migrations? How do you realize the benefits that Windows 7 offers while minimizing the disruption and cost of an operating system migration?

Application compatibility at the heart of Windows 7 migration issues

Application compatibility, ensuring applications will install and run predictably on Windows 7, poses the most challenging and time-consuming tasks. Many of the traditional Windows components and features have been changed in Windows 7 and function differently than older versions. To simplify the management and deployment of applications, many organizations are combining Windows 7 migrations with application virtualization projects with the goal of an optimized desktop infrastructure.

A Windows 7 migration has key benefits for an organization, but the risk of failure and the high profile of the project may be intimidating. Windows 7 migrations have significant impact on an IT organization in terms of time, budget and internal reputation. Ensuring application compatibility and deploying applications for optimal performance and functionality is an essential requirement. To simplify the management and deployment of applications, many organizations are combining Windows 7 migrations with application virtualization projects with the goal of an optimized desktop infrastructure. IT organizations can expedite Windows 7 and application virtualization migrations with the right application readiness toolset that reduces risk, time and costs by analyzing application compatibility, remediating issues and creating your application in traditional or virtual packages. The right toolset helps IT teams to develop clearly defined, trackable and repeatable processes for both Windows 7 and application virtualization migrations.

Windows 7 migration best practices

Typically, with a major migration, organizations spend significant time testing and preparing their third-party and custom applications. Experts recommend having a best-of-breed software packaging technology in place prior to your Windows 7 migration project. These technologies can speed up the repacking and testing processes, and because they are highly reliable and proven in high impact environments they can ensure a timely, smooth migration to Windows 7. In addition, to the right application packaging, application readiness, and process management technology can speed up the Windows 7 migration process.

• Proactively indentify the applications in your environment with potential Windows 7 issues
• Correct and provide guidance to the issues encountered
• Leverage your existing MSI portfolio wherever you can to reduce the need to repackage again
• Create a process or have the technology in place to quickly correct Windows 7-related issues in MSIs to eliminate another round of unnecessary, time-consuming repackaging

Windows 7 offers many enterprises benefits over previous Microsoft operating systems. Having a specific plan based on best-practices for your Windows 7 migration and the best-of-breed application packaging technology can minimize errors and significantly accelerate the migration of your applications to Windows 7.