News
Ovum says don’t upgrade your Windows XP PCs – be innovative instead
April 2013 by Ovum
Unveiled at the same time as the original Apple iPod in October 2001, Windows XP now has less than a year to live as Microsoft plans to withdraw extended support on April 8, 2014. But Ovum analysis suggests that 28% of corporate Windows computers are still running XP (70% are running Windows 7), suggesting that there is plenty of contemplation going on within organizations as they consider their options.
Richard Edwards, principal analyst comments: “The cost of upgrading hundreds or thousands of desktop and laptop computers to a new operating is significant in terms of time and money, so organizations should consider how their IT budgets might be invested in more innovative projects. First of all, if we assume that Windows XP systems have the latest patches, fixes and up-to-date security software installed (and that Internet Explorer 6 has been replaced with a more modern web browser), then there is no reason to believe that life after 08/04/2014 will be any different than before it.”
Ovum suggests there are two options for organizations looking to innovate without spend their IT budgets on a Windows upgrade:
Option #1: Consider desktop virtualization. Used in conjunction with application virtualization, virtualized desktop infrastructure (VDI) can bring expensive-to-run distributed desktop environments back under centralized control and administration.
Option #2: Consider replacing Windows XP laptops with tablet computers. A Windows laptop is overkill for many field-based employees, and they cost much more to service and support than an Android or iOS tablet. Option #3: Consider switching to Google Chrome OS. Cloud computing has now come-of-age, and many corporate IT users now spend most of their time using web-based, rather than locally installed, applications and services.
