Win 7 to be sexier-than-Vista for business

Geoff Spick
09 March 2009, 1:00 PM

Much of the talk about Windows 7 has been about features for home users. However, since much of Microsoft's money comes from millions of business upgrades, what's in it for them?

Lost in the waves of news for the home version of Windows 7, today's being that you can now totally uninstall Internet Explorer from Windows 7, business users have been waiting eagerly to see what the Enterprise edition will offer. Microsoft is starting to let the cat out of the bag with an update on the official Windows Blog.

Most impressive, and clearly having listened after the lack of interest from some quarters in Vista Enterprise, Microsoft revamped the way that industry helps to develop the operating system with lots of early ideas and feedback, before any code was written. The focus is on the urgent business need, thanks to the current economic climate, to manage costs, environmental footprint (power usage), contingency planning (disaster recovery) and compliance (e-mail archiving, record keeping and so on).

Some of the interesting facts unveiled include the fact that 56% of businesses want help protecting data on laptops, memory sticks and so on (solved by BitLocker To Go). 61% of business want to limit what users can install (enter AppLocker), while almost half wanted easier remote access features (DirectAccess).

So, Microsoft is making a major effort to impress in the business world where Vista had been perceived to struggle. It talked to 27 active IT leaders across a number of industries including some of the world’s largest manufacturers, banks, telecoms, energy companies and other and used their input for overall direction and feature decisions.

System administrators are being teased by the tempting offer of Microsoft's Desktop Optimization Pack that is supposed to make it easier for admins to manage hundreds, if not thousands of machines faster and easier than before. With the number of variants of Windows 7 streamlined, it is possible that Windows 7 Enterprise may be the most popular yet.

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Halcon (User):

This must me seen first to believe later.
Most business are fed up with the disastrous bungle in Vista.
For what the writer has put in this article, this is another gimmick from Microsoft to entice business to rush out in stampede to buy the latest and greatest odd offering.
Time will tell us what will happen when the OS is released to retail channels.

09 March 2009, 6:05 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Michael J (User):

I have this strange feeling that windows 7 is going to lose a majority of the good features from the beta when it finally comes out of beta stage, slightly like Vista did...

09 March 2009, 7:13 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Phred (New user):

Quoting Michael J:
windows 7 is going to lose a majority of the good features

I don't see a lot of changes at the consumer level, but in the enterprise space, definitely. The ability for the Administrator to better control the workspace will be of great benefit. I just hope it integrates well with Novell eDirectory and other such environments.

09 March 2009, 8:10 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Raindog (New user):

I cant help thinking MS has lost the plot with this, maybe it's information overload from too much market research. But I cant help but think they are unable to comprehend their own data.

Innovation and vision is not delivered by add-ons, widgets, mini-apps, ribbons and other fluff.

56% of businesses want help protecting data I'd agree with that without reservation good data and a real pointer of directions to head. But instead we get solved by BitLocker To Go. Another tack-on, another half assed min-app to bloat and chew up CPU cycles. What is needed is a good look at the problems and revision/development of the OS architecture to achieve those aim. We don't need cheesy tack-on with even cheesier names.

61% of business want to limit what users can install (enter AppLocker) , yep another tack-on with another cheesy title. Any version of windows since NT has offered this functionality, but the labyrinth architecture has left it in the don't bother category for many system admins.

while almost half wanted easier remote access features (DirectAccess) and surprise surprise another cheesy mini-app. Another rehash of remote desktop with an even cheesier name.
Remote access applications are hardly in short supply and most organisation will continue on with the ones the chose long ago, especially in environments requiring multi-platform support.
Again the best way for MS to satiate consumer need and want would be to address weaknesses in the underlying architecture, eliminate the intrusions created by hastily designed software firewalls which insist on re-enabling themselves.

Microsoft has shown they have a vision for the future but currently they are showing the don't know how to achieve it. Business wants speed from modest platforms, security reliability and interoperability. No rehash of the desktop or grab bag of mini-apps is ever going to deliver this.

10 March 2009, 10:42 AM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend

MarcoI (New user):

Windows Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista, the new version of the popular web browser, represents a major step forward in making everyday web tasks easier. To help you perform tasks more productively and efficiently, Internet Explorer 7 has been redesigned with new and enhanced capabilities for searching and making use of myriad sources of information. Everyday tasks are easier with improved navigation through tabbed browsing and web search right from the toolbar. Improved printing and the ability to easily discover, read, and subscribe to Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds enable you to access only the information you want, any time it's convenient. The release candidate of Windows 7 is expected to be released in April or May this year which makes it likely that the final version of Internet Explorer 8 is included in the Windows 7 Release Candidate release. The official Internet Explorer 8 website which has not been updated yet with information about the final release does not list Windows 7 as one of the supported operating systems yet. This could change as it is expected that Microsoft will update the page shortly before release time with information about the final version of Internet Explorer 8. People rely on the internet. And when people have no internet, they lose access to a lot of the information they depend on – whether it is their work, their financial information, or an application for an online payday loan. Since so much of daily life now revolves around a computer, it seems like all life has come to a stop if you can't surf the web. This is the reason why so many of us shell out for better internet service, and wireless utilities. It's worth a payday loan to keep one's self from having no internet.

21 April 2009, 7:26 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend

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