A comprehensive readiness assessment can help you discover whether your organization is prepared for migration to the Microsoft® Windows® 7 Enterprise OS—and what you need to do beforehand to help ensure a successful deployment.
The first step in virtually any migration is to understand your starting point. However, with thousands of desktops, laptops, and mobile devices to track and maintain, large enterprise IT departments do not always have a complete picture of which operating systems and applications employees and key contractors are using. To make matters worse, few enterprises are currently leveraging automation technologies to manage and maintain client computing environments efficiently.
Although IT administrators typically operate in hybrid environments with some level of automation, they also continue to rely largely on manual intervention. Unfortunately, without a comprehensive understanding of the assets already in use throughout the enterprise, IT organizations often cannot leverage automation to best advantage and reap the benefits of migrating to Microsoft Windows 7 Enterprise—the version of Windows that is specifically architected for business users.
Migrations are often logistically complex. How can IT strategists help ensure a successful Windows 7 Enterprise deployment? The process of coordinating equipment shipments, managing on-site technicians, and scheduling users can be cumbersome and time-consuming. However, advance planning and preparation helps to dramatically reduce labor and associated deployment expenses.
In particular, proper preparation enables IT teams to optimize deployments and avoid costly mistakes. In addition, planning ahead can help to facilitate multitasking, minimize network traffic, maximize logistical flexibility, reduce infrastructure dependencies, and accommodate out-of-band deployments for remote users.
Five key steps can help ensure a smooth transition to Windows 7 Enterprise:
- Evaluate the readiness of the organization and of end users. Determining readiness to migrate to Windows 7 Enterprise starts with understanding the way workers in your enterprise are currently using their computers. Because unprepared employees are likely to bombard your support centers with questions, end users must be properly briefed before making the switch from their current desktop environments to Windows 7 Enterprise.
Proper advance notification and training can help to minimize IT support calls and avoid interrupting business productivity. Gap analysis is typically the best way to determine how to announce the migration and give employees the training they may need to use Windows 7 Enterprise effectively. Take stock of how workers feel about their current OS, identify needs that are not currently being met, and communicate the advantages of Windows 7 Enterprise in terms of new capabilities that can help increase productivity and efficiency. - Evaluate hardware compatibility. Windows 7 Enterprise requires certain hardware features to run—features that are available in current Dell™ OptiPlex™ desktops, Dell Latitude™ laptops, and Dell Precision™ workstations.
However, for organizations that choose to maintain legacy systems, ensuring that all hardware platforms meet these prerequisites can help avert headaches during the migration process. Start by taking a comprehensive inventory of the desktops, laptops, and mobile devices workers are using. Next, create a return-on-investment business case for improving quality of work and lowering costs for client system deployments. Address bottom-line considerations by explaining how the strategic investment in capital equipment can both advance business goals and save on operating expenses. When necessary, refresh client systems—perform user-specific automated image and application configuration, migrate data and settings, and update any outdated drivers on end-user devices. - Evaluate office application readiness and compatibility. Migrating to Windows 7 Enterprise may cause some applications to work differently than users expect. By flagging potential issues ahead of the migration, you can update or replace applications if necessary to avoid these problems.
Begin by conducting a comprehensive survey of the applications in use throughout the organization. Create reporting mechanisms that identify applications incompatible with Windows 7 Enterprise to help prevent problems and avoid rework later in the migration process. If any redundant applications exist, remove them to help streamline IT administration—then standardize application selections and versions to help simplify future deployments and maintenance for IT staff. Prioritize applications for compatibility assessments and possible remediation.
Once the list of applications has been finalized, gather requirements for each packaged application (including source, installation instructions, technical dependencies, and test scripts). Then perform user acceptance testing for packaged applications to help ensure that user productivity will not be impaired following the deployment. - Lay the technology foundation for new features. Some Windows 7 Enterprise features that IT administrators may find most valuable require additional supporting technologies in the data center. Organizations can prepare to get the most out of Windows 7 Enterprise by upgrading to the Microsoft Windows Server® 2008 R2 OS—which is required, for example, to support the Microsoft BranchCache™ and DirectAccess features. In addition, Windows Server 2008 R2 is designed to facilitate advanced server and desktop virtualization, enhance power management, and support unprecedented workload size, dynamic scalability, and across-the-board availability and reliability. IT departments can further lay the groundwork for Windows 7 Enterprise by implementing IP version 6 (IPv6) and IP Security (IPsec), which provide key support for the DirectAccess feature.
- Create a deployment strategy. By formulating and following a well-designed deployment strategy, enterprise IT leaders can create an optimized, scalable, automated deployment process that is repeatable throughout the organization.
The first step to creating a solid deployment strategy is to consolidate the installed application base as much as possible. This effort helps reduce complexity, simplify administration, and enhance IT efficiency before the deployment. Next, test deployment procedures thoroughly in a controlled environment to help work out kinks in advance. Finally, have a support strategy in place for any unexpected issues that may arise.
Successfully deploying Windows 7 Enterprise depends on making proper preparations. By determining your company’s readiness to migrate ahead of time, you can anticipate potential pitfalls and avoid rework later in the migration process. A well-designed deployment strategy provides a blueprint for an optimized, scalable, automated deployment process that is repeatable throughout the organization—and these five steps pave the way.
Tags: enterprise, technology, Dell, Windows 7
