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Many companies are still reluctant to migrate from Windows 7 or 8 / 8.1 to current Windows 10. Because Microsoft has changed its publishing concept and now provides updates every six months. For example, IT managers fear being overtaken by update projects in the future.
However, given the announced end of support for Windows 7 in 2020, a change is inevitable. This article explains how an IT organization should proceed once the dice have fallen in favor of Windows 10, and why processes should be defined for the "day after" rather than the LTSB (Long Term Servicing Branch) version. 19659005] At the beginning of the year, we could read that the proportion of Windows 10 among Windows users in Germany had already exceeded the 50% mark: according to StatCounter, its market share was 51.3% end 2017. However, this strong market penetration comes mainly from the consumer segment: In many companies, we remain cautious and still hesitant to upgrade to the current version of Windows.
Modern Release Cycles
Because, with Windows 10 At Redmond, the publishing policy has also been modernized: in line with agile software development, the software house has announced a continuous update according to the principle " Rolling Releases ":" Windows has a service "is the goal. Every spring and every autumn ("semiannual channel"), there are updates for Windows 10 variants Home, Pro, Enterprise and – for the sector of Education – Education. These can contain not only bug fixes but also new features. Users must therefore always benefit from functional innovations and security updates.
In the current branch of the Publishing Branch (CB) for private users and businesses, Windows automatically downloads and installs updates. With the "Windows Update for Business" option, administrators can defer security patches for up to 30 days for testing and upgrade for 365 days. Only the Long Term Servicing Branch (LTSB) maintains the familiar interval of two to three years between operating system iterations.
The half-yearly renewal pace, according to Microsoft, is expected for the company do not worry. However, until now, many IT organizations have remained wary of the idea of migrating to Windows 7 or Windows 8 / 8.1 through the enterprise. The fear: Because of the greatly shortened operating system update cycles, we could still have to deal with the update of the client systems
LTSB generally no option
Some IT managers have the idea to have them all To migrate customers to Windows 10 LTSB, we hope that update projects can continue as usual. However, this approach is not recommended: The approach leads to a dead end!
Because Microsoft has provided LTSB only for endpoints whose software image remains virtually unchanged, for example, checkout or control systems on production lines. LTSB is not designed as a release option for desktop machines, however, and sooner or later this will be noticeable.
For example, the LTSB variant does not have the modern and sleek browser that Microsoft introduced with Windows 10a. This could be considered a detail – but this indicates that the LTSB channel can still be cut off from the Windows client world. This does not guarantee, for example, that the next version of LTSB will still work with Microsoft Office 365.
Process instead of project
So, if becoming familiar with LTSB is not an option viable, what should an IT department do? so get ready for "The next day"? It is important here, first of all, to understand the step of modernizing Microsoft's publishing policy at the organizational level: the IT department must say goodbye to the OS Migration project and replace it with a "system migration". 39; exploitation ". It must establish a standard way to handle the half-yearly update of the client operating system – if necessary, quickly, but at the enterprise level, thanks to several waves of deployment. The individual project must become a set of standard tasks that the client management team can "work according to Schema F."
At the organizational level, change and release management provides guidance to the standard processes of service management framework. ITIL, alternatively the use of Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF). Even for Cobit's experienced computer organizations (Cobit: Control Objects for Computing and Related Technologies), the transition to a standard operating system migration process should be easy. In addition, software support is technically necessary to implement planned processes as automati- cally as possible.
Unified Endpoint Management
Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) is the ideal standard for such automation of regular updates. Endpoint management). Terminal management tools can be called "unified" if they can provide centralized management and control for traditional customers (PCs, laptops) as well as for modern mobile devices (smartphones and tablets with iOS or Android devices). ).
It is important to have such a management feature covering device clbades from a single dashboard to avoid deduplication of management tools. In addition, there are more and more modern devices such as Surface Pro from Microsoft, the existing boundaries between traditional device types are breaking. Such hybrid devices are likely to become more and more common in the future, thanks to the integrated management of Windows 10 mobility management and Universal Apps, which can be ordered depending on the device or of the keyboard preference.
Modern EMU solutions are based on a workflow engine. It allows the IT organization to define the processes that the UEM tool then processes automatically. Ideally, an EMU solution such as Matrix42 Unified Endpoint Management allows unparalleled creation and customization of workflows through an intuitive graphical interface. In the end, even a departmental employee may be able to define his own workflow without the help of the IT department.
Reprovisioning
Advanced UEM solution is supported for the operating system Migrate not only Wipe and Load, which means removing newly acquired devices, then downloading software images belonging to l & # 39; company. Likewise, it must support an on-premises migration, ie upgrade from Windows 7 or Windows 8 / 8.1 or older version of Windows 10 while retaining applications and settings . No less important is the support for the reprovisioning process, which has now been introduced by Microsoft
Here, a newly acquired device is registered with the manufacturer or supplier for the client company. In this way, the distributor can deliver it to the end user. He then only has to enter some key data such as the national language and email address of his company; then the new terminal is automatically released from unnecessary software preinstalled (bloatware) and saved (replenished) with the software provided for its user role.
In addition, a modern EMU solution needs to be designed for today's self-service processes: Once the company's own software image is configured, the user final can order software packages and services through a self-service business store as part of the capabilities provided by the IT department. Such a self-service company unites the wishes of current users for the self-design of their work environment with the central control of the IT organization, which is absolutely necessary for reasons of security and for the European General Regulation on data protection. Through the process orientation and automation based on EMU, the introduction and upgrade of Windows 10 are no longer a mountain to climb, but only a comfortable climb. At the same time, EMU's self-service gives IT a new freedom to focus on its core business: supporting the business with effective solutions
Horst Droege Matrix42 in Frankfurt / Main.
www.matrix42.com
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