Windows 10 Readiness Made Easier

The impending release of Windows 10 is certainly generating plenty of coverage. Consumers and IT administrators alike will have a lot to consider when they’re deciding if it’s the right time for an upgrade to this newest iteration of Microsoft’s popular OS. Consumers using Windows 7 or 8 will be treated to a free upgrade, and with only their personal devices to worry about the choice is made much simpler. But what about the IT admin who’s responsible for thousands of devices?

Preparing for and executing a large-scale migration is no simple task. Simply trying to figure out which applications are critical and need to be compatible in the new OS is enough to make your head spin when there’s thousands of users, most of them with different sets of apps, along with unique cases like apps developed in house. Luckily SysTrack has all the data you need to help you through the process.

How SysTrack fits into the Windows migration process

There’s a great overview of how SysTrack fits into the migration process in this blog post. It covers some examples of how the different SysTrack tools can help paint the picture of the current state of the environment to help minimize issues that may arise with upgrading the OS. In addition to that type of insight available throughout the product suite we’ve also released a Windows 10 report through our MarketPlace program.

With one click you’ll get a Word format report filled with SysTrack data observed in your environment that answers those initial questions you might have when you’re beginning a Windows 10 upgrade project: What’s the current OS breakdown?  What’s the age of the systems in the environment? What kind of third-party apps are being supported that may no longer be necessary? All of these types of questions get answered along with some discussion of the key features of Windows 10 as they relate to the enterprise customer.

The case of the mobile worker is a good example of a dataset covered in the report. A lot of modern workers will use multiple devices from multiple locations. This is great for the worker and the business, but it can create challenges for the IT staff. It introduces issues like security of corporate data or devices and apps that require additional support. Windows 10 is designed with these types of scenarios in mind.

Built-in features like two-factor authentication and Enterprise Data Protection help to keep everything secure. The mobile worker is an ideal candidate for an upgrade to Windows 10, but simply figuring out what portion of the workforce is mobile is a challenge in and of itself. A simple pie chart in the Windows 10 MarketPlace report breaks this down so you can easily visualize how many users stand to benefit from a mobility perspective.

Whether you plan to upgrade to Windows 10 this year or wait and see how the market reacts and then upgrade in a couple years you’ll inevitably have to go through a long planning process. Don’t make it any harder than it needs to be – having the right data available can save a lot headaches.