High Expectations as Small Business Upgrade to Windows7 Increases

The good news just keeps on coming for Windows7. A recent survey by SpiceWorks “Voice of IT” just published shows that Small Business Managers are expecting to make the switch to Windows7, some even making  hardware improvements at the same time.

The survey was actually conducted in two phases, before the October Launch and after the launch in November. The initial study showed that 20% of 1,530 IT professionals who took part in the survey sped up their timetable for upgrading to Windows 7. Following the launch, there was a further surge of 10% who would make the transition. Moreover, in the smallest businesses, 40% of the IT managers said that they would begin to look at a switch over within 90 days of the launch.

SMB-Windows7 Survey

The Reason for the Switch

Afterthe launch, nearly 75% of IT professionals listed speed as a primary reason for engaging the operating system; this was almost an 11% increase over pre-launch drivers expectations. Following that almost 70% of IT professionals identified the user interface as another factor in their decision to upgrade. Another group of professionals, nearly 57%, planned to migrate to switch away from their current operating system.

The impact on hardware is also notable. 55% of the respondents intend to upgrade their existing machines, but the remaining 45% will pursue the economic decision to invest in new hardware to support the operating system.

Confidence Building

Perhaps the most prevalent reason for the upgrade has not been spoken. That is the confidence that has come because the apparent stability in the operating system. It has led many IT professionals to believe that the problems associated with Vista, poor response, backward-compatibility problems with existing software, inadequate hardware drivers, those problems are not rearing up now. Also, it is not the universal praise for the OS so much as the lack of complaints that have led to the decision to change. It is the old adage, bad new travels fast. And with Windows7, there is not a lot of bad news.

Source:  SpiceWorks