How resellers can help migrate to Windows 7

Alongside the technical process of migration is the trouble expected from users unfamiliar with the new operating system.

The majority of enterprises have not upgraded their operating systems in five years so it is fair to say that this migration is a daunting task - even Microsoft has warned its enterprise customers recently that the migration path won't be easy.

Sean Walsh, general manager AppSense A/NZ, speaks to CRN about how user environment management solutions can help ease the migration fear.

CRN: Why are IT managers already beginning to feel uneasy about the Windows 7 upgrade
Walsh: Although the industry is excited about the launch, IT managers are all too aware that rolling out a new operating system will inevitably result in some backlash from users. 

It has been several years since most organisations had to implement a new operating system for the majority of their desktop infrastructure, but few IT managers will have forgotten that migrating to a new platform can open a Pandora's box of issues if the migration is not managed correctly. 

It is perhaps fair to say that the fear of overcomplicating processes and the threat of user backlash contributed to the decision for many organisations to avoid upgrading to Windows Vista, but now that Windows 7 is just on the horizon, it seems an operating system upgrade is finally due.

CRN: How will it affect their IT systems
Walsh: Upgrading to a completely new platform can have a massive impact on existing IT systems. Alongside its many benefits, Windows 7 presents its own risks and challenges. 

It is difficult to predict how users will react when faced with a new interface which changes application compatibility, driver stability and performance. 

From an IT manager's perspective, the upgrade also introduces a whole subset of management tools which need to be assessed and tested.

CRN: What technical process of migration is required
Walsh: There are a number of tools already available to deal with the management and deployment of the new operating system and assist with compatibility issues, but these tools almost entirely ignore the critical issue of user data and settings - something which has  traditionally been lumped together and dealt with poorly. 

CRN: What trouble do you foresee from users unfamiliar with the new operating system
Walsh: The mere fact that users will be facing a different GUI environment is bound to create some user acceptance issues. 

More importantly, I think organisations underestimate the amount of downtime required for a user to configure all their applications and settings from scratch on the new operating system.

It is not unreasonable for a user to spend a full day or more upgrading and configuring a new operating system they are unfamiliar with. 

In addition, most organisations will find that some employees really struggle to familiarise themselves with the new operating system so it is not unusual for them to need dedicated IT support on site to ensure the job can be completed.

CRN: Why haven't the majority of enterprises not upgraded their operating systems in five years or so and why is this migration a daunting task
Walsh: Not only can an operating system upgrade be painful for users, but it can also be very expensive -  especially if has been a while since an organisation rolled out a new operating system or if it is not familiar with SOE deployment.  

Basically, the general consensus seems to be that it is safer and easier to stick to what you know unless there is a strong business proposition for making a change. 

It seems that many of the 'kinks' in Windows Vista have been ironed out and Windows 7 really does present a way to improve and simplify operations if the migration process is handled correctly. 

CRN: Why has Microsoft warned its enterprise customers recently that the migration path won't be easy
Walsh: There is an awful lot of effort required to get all applications tested for compatibility, get the deployment mechanisms in place, package new versions of applications and virtualise or move onto Terminal Services incompatible applications. 

It certainly does not simply involve a flick of a switch and running all those projects at once would create a significant drain on resources. 

For this reason, we are already seeing some of our customers running pilot programs on the release candidate of Windows 7 to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible.

CRN: How can user environment management solutions ease the migration fear
Walsh: An environment manager solution manages the user data and user personalisation settings completely independent of the operating system. 

This gives you the ability to move around between platforms and migrate all the meaningful data seamlessly to the users themselves - settings, data and customisations.

This really does make migration a lot easier.

CRN: How can they effectively manage the user's desktop to ensure their profile data is quickly and easily migrated between operating systems
Walsh: We don't like to use the word "profiles", we prefer to call it the "personality" for the user. This is a term we have been using for a while and has now been picked up by Citrix and Microsoft. 

A user's personality extends beyond the Windows profile and into other areas of the operating system and includes those things unique to the user.  

Our personalisation technology effectively virtualises these user settings on a per application basis and delivers them "on-demand" as a separate layer on top of the operating system and applications.

This is all managed centrally giving complete redundancy and user rollback functionality.  IT departments can achieve complete granular control over their user settings and data, optimise and reduce profile bloat, as well as avoiding all the problems associated with traditional roaming profiles.

CRN: How can organisations experience a simple and rapid desktop upgrade
Walsh: Get started now!

They need to learn about the benefits and tools which are featured on Windows 7, but remember that a successful upgrade will depend on how quickly users are back up and running, so IT managers need to make sure they are prepared to make this process easy.  

CRN: How can resellers help organisations rest easy about migrating to Windows 7
Walsh: They need to talk to them now about the solutions that can help and start planning early.

Application virtualisation, imaging solutions and deployment tools all make up a piece of the puzzle and organisations need to decide which technologies are a fit for their business.

It is up to resellers and consultants to bring themselves up to speed on what technologies they can recommend to assist their customers move forward with a Windows 7 migration.