Top Reasons to Upgrade
With the release of Microsoft® Windows® 7, there's no better time than right now to start thinking about investing in new desktop software. Here are some of the many reasons why.
 Microsoft Windows 7 Upgrade Guide Chart
Standardize your OS environment
Desktop standardization fundamentally enables the decoupling of hardware from software at the operating system level, creating the possibility for virtualization, automation, centralized management and deployment, as well as other optimization capabilities. Ironically, it is standardization that ultimately provides IT organizations the flexibility to adapt the PC infrastructure to meet changing organizational and end user requirements.
- Provides a foundation for automated patching and updates
- Lowers help desk and image management costs
- Reduces risk and improves compliance
- Increases IT responsiveness
- Reduces impact on end users for updates
- Reduces help desk and testing support cost
- Boosts service levels by avoiding application conflicts
- Improves control and security
Standardization is the first step toward a more powerful, dynamic desktop infrastructure, with capabilities such as zero-impact PC hardware upgrades, automated configuration management, and delivery of hardware independent applications as dynamic real time services.
Protect sensitive data
With Windows 7, BitLocker Drive Encryption helps protect sensitive data from being accessed by unauthorized users who come into possession of lost, stolen, or improperly decommissioned computers. BitLocker provides an integrated management experience for IT professionals, giving them more control over how data in their environment is protected.
Windows 7 simplifies the encryption of internal drives by automatically creating the hidden boot partition necessary to use BitLocker to protect the OS volume, eliminating the need to manually select that option during installation or to repartition the drive afterward. Best of all, BitLocker can be enabled on drives running Windows 7 with a simple right-click.
Save time with enhanced search
Advancements to the Windows 7 user interface (UI) make it easier for users to quickly find what they are looking for. Libraries are a new way of accessing documents, presentations, or any type of file that might be located in different folders, on different hard drives, or even on different computers - in a single view. Windows 7 creates several default libraries for items such as documents and pictures, allowing users to store and browse files in an optimal way. Users can also create custom libraries.
Making it easy to discover and search intranet sites can help organizations maximize their return on these investments. With Enterprise Search Scopes in Windows 7, IT administrators can populate links on the Start menu or in Windows Explorer. These links simplify access to the most appropriate, complete, authoritative data sources on the network. This setup makes content on intranet portals more discoverable and accessible. IT administrators can deploy Enterprise Search scopes on users' machines using Group Policy.
Secure data on mobile devices
BitLocker to Go extends the Windows security foundation with encryption for portable (USB) devices limiting the risk of data theft. BitLocker to Go enables control over how removable storage devices can be utilized within their environment and the strength of protection that they require.
BitLocker To Go can be enforced using Group Policy - the IT professional can require that any removable USB drive be encrypted or allow read-only access. Administrators can require data protection for any removable storage device upon which users want to write data, while still allowing unprotected storage devices to be utilized in a read-only mode. Policies are also available to require appropriate passwords, smart card, or domain user credentials to utilize a protected removable storage device.
Control application installation and use
Windows 7 offers new application control policies with AppLocker, a flexible, easy-to-use mechanism that enables IT professionals to specify exactly what is allowed to run on user desktops. AppLocker restricts unauthorized software while allowing applications, installation programs, and scripts that users need. With this capability, IT professionals can realize the security, operational, and compliance benefits of application standardization.
Application updates don't change the rules. AppLocker provides simple, powerful, rule-based structures for specifying which applications can run that are centrally managed using Group Policy. It introduces "publisher rules" that are based on an application's digital signature, making it possible to build strong rules that account for application updates. With correctly structured rules, IT professionals can safely deploy updates to allowed applications without having to build a new rule for each version update.
Enhance remote access and control
DirectAccess in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 enhances the productivity of mobile workers by connecting them seamlessly and more securely to their corporate network any time they have Internet access - without the need to VPN. When an IT department enables DirectAccess, the corporate network's file shares, intranet websites, and line-of-business applications remain accessible wherever users have an Internet connection. With DirectAccess, IT administrators can manage mobile computers by updating Group Policy settings and distributing software updates any time the mobile computer has Internet connectivity, even if the user is not logged on.
To keep data safer as it travels public networks, DirectAccess uses IPv6-over-IPsec to encrypt communications transmitted across the Internet. It is designed to reduce unnecessary traffic on the corporate network by sending only traffic destined for the corporate network through the DirectAccess server (running Windows Server 2008 R2), or the administrator can choose to send all traffic through the corporate network. In addition to authenticating the computer, DirectAccess can also authenticate the user and supports multifactor authentication, such as a smart card. IT administrators can configure which intranet resources specific users can access using DirectAccess.
Take advantage of virtualization benefits
Windows 7 delivers a richer experience when users are connected to a virtual desktop - much closer to the experience provided by a native Windows desktop. For example, Windows 7 provides multi-monitor support, bi-directional audio to enable Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and speech recognition applications, and access to local devices, such as printers.
IT administrators will find that Windows 7 helps more easily maintain virtual machine images by using the same tools used for physical images. One of the many advantages of a virtual environment is that applications continue to run with a previous OS version. Administrators can create a separate desktop OS environment for Windows XP or Windows Vista to run mission-critical legacy applications while performing software compatibility tests.
Seamlessly run applications in Windows XP Mode
In some rare cases, when productivity applications are not compatible, Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 makes it easy to install and run many older Windows XP applications directly from a Window 7-based PC. It utilizes virtualization technology such as Windows Virtual PC to provide a Windows XP Mode environment for Windows 7.
Here are some of the exciting new Windows Virtual PC features that make it easy to use, and to run many of the older Windows XP applications from a Windows 7 desktop:
- Seamless Applications - Publish and launch applications installed on Windows XP Mode directly from the Windows 7 desktop, as if they were installed on the Windows 7 host itself.
- Folder Integration between host and guest - Access Windows 7 Known Folders, such as My Documents, Pictures, Desktop, Music, Video, from inside the Windows XP Mode environment.
- Clipboard Sharing - Cut and paste between Windows 7 host and any virtual machine.
- USB Support - Users can access USB devices attached to the host directly from Windows XP Mode. These devices include printers and scanners, Flash memory/sticks and external hard drives, digital cameras, and more.
Enhance power management
Windows 7 provides several opportunities to decrease power usage across the enterprise. The power management technologies in Windows 7 provide platform and processor efficiencies that reduce power consumption and can help lower energy costs. It also provides a better user experience with longer battery life for specific scenarios.
Windows 7 provides diagnostic tools that enable IT pros to better manage and troubleshoot power management issues on computers and to extend the battery life for portable computers. This set of diagnostics enables IT professionals to quickly determine common problems that may impact energy efficiency. They can also identify applications and open network files that prevent a computer from entering Sleep and Hibernate modes.
The diagnostics platform also enables IT professionals to customize and develop their own set of diagnostics, which can be deployed across their enterprise to help identify a broad range of problems.
Streamline system management
The management technologies of Windows 7 enable powerful automation, troubleshooting, remote management, and configuration features - tools that help IT professionals become more productive.
Windows 7 improves the ability to centrally manage the most critical aspects of computers by providing additional Group Policy settings focused on data protection and improved auditing. Through AppLocker, Windows 7 provides the ability to limit the applications users can run. To increase the reach and flexibility of Group Policy, Windows 7 delivers built-in support for Group Policy Preferences, which extend the range of what Group Policy can manage and how Group Policy applies settings to specific users or machines.
Windows 7 provides the Windows Troubleshooting Platform, a comprehensive, extensible tool that helps users to quickly resolve technical issues without involving the help desk - and helps support staff fix any escalated issues quickly. Windows 7 provides the ability to develop custom Troubleshooting Packs for organization- or infrastructure-specific issues. For example, an IT professional can develop a Troubleshooting Pack to support a custom line-of-business application.
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