Windows 7 stands in stark contrast to its precursor, Windows Vista. Despite
Microsoft's hope and hype for Vista, most organizations perceived it as a
Windows client OS release that they could easily skip. After all, Microsoft had
improved the security of Windows XP, XP ran on the hardware most organizations
had deployed, and XP ran the applications organizations wanted to use.
This time the Windows team has taken a different approach, carefully
promising only what they could deliver in the time limit they imposed on the
update—three years from the release of Vista. By carefully managing changes,
ensuring application and driver compatibility with Vista, and working to improve
the resource utilization and performance of the OS, Microsoft has a version of
Windows that many organizations will be willing to deploy, particularly now that
Windows XP is in Extended support.
This report outlines the features and benefits of Windows 7 most likely to
interest business and looks at some of the changes to acquiring and licensing
the Windows client OS that are timed to occur with the launch of Windows 7 in
Oct. 2009.
Sections in the Windows 7 Research Report:
Introduction
Although Windows 7 does provide some new features of interest to businesses,
many of the improvements simply remove perceived barriers to upgrading to the
latest Windows client OS
Windows 7 Developer Considerations
Applications and devices that work with Windows Vista will likely work without modification with Windows 7, but exploiting new Windows 7 features could still require changes
Internet Explorer 8
Although IE8 can be downloaded for use with Windows XP and Vista, the latest browser from Microsoft will likely be included in all editions of Windows 7
Windows 7 Lockers Secure Data and Applications
BitLocker and AppLocker make Windows more secure by ensuring that data is protected from falling into the wrong hands and controlling which applications can run on a computer
Virtual PC and XP Mode Aid Application Compatibility
A virtual machine monitor, combined with a Windows XP SP3 virtual hard drive, should help small and midsize businesses work around application compatibility problems that would otherwise block Windows 7 deployment
Windows 7 Integrates with Windows Server 2008 R2
The simultaneous development of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 creates integration opportunities, but to benefit, organizations will have to license the Windows 7 Enterprise edition
Windows 7 Enhances Power Management
As customers demand longer laptop battery life and more power-efficient desktops and servers, Windows power management is becoming more important
Windows 7 Editions
Windows 7 will have as many editions as Vista, but each higher edition will be a superset of the next-lower edition, and Microsoft's marketing will focus on only three editions
Licensing Windows 7
Customers planning upgrades to Windows 7 can take steps today, such as purchasing Software Assurance upgrade rights on new PCs, that can reduce the total cost of upgrading
Appendix: Media Sharing Enhanced in Windows 7
Windows 7 will function more effectively as a connected digital media device,
thanks to support for more third-party standards and formats
Resources
Guide to additional information about the Windows 7-related topics discussed in this report
Sidebars, Illustrations & Charts:
Chart: Removing Windows Barriers
Illustration: Jump List Menu
Sidebar: Windows 7 Troubleshooting
Illustration: IE8 Compatibility View
Sidebar: InPrivate Filtering and Advertising
Illustration: BitLocker To Go Reader
Illustration: AppLocker Wizard
Illustration: Windows Virtual PC on Windows 7
Illustration: Windows 7 DirectAccess
Illustration: Windows Power Management Architecture
Illustration: Windows Core Parking
Illustration: Windows Power Efficiency Diagnostics Report
Avoiding a dead-end technology is a challenging task without in-depth analysis and understanding. Directions on Microsoft helps me maximize my Microsoft investments.
twitter
facebook 
