Windows 7: When is the Right Time for a Small Business to Upgrade?

Posted by nlvari in small business, windows 7 November 2, 2009

The short answer for this is to wait until the first service pack comes out before you buy an upgrade or purchase new PC’s with windows 7.

The more detail answer is it depends on your business needs and goals. Every business is different and so there is no one size fits all answer. The best thing you can do is find a trusted business and technology advisor to help guide the decision making process. After all, most businesses rely heavily on computers and technology for their existence these days.

That being said, here are some things to consider:

1. Do your current business applications run seamlessly in the Windows 7 environment?

2. Are you running a windows server in your office? If so, which version?

3. Is it compatible with hardware, software, and printers that you currently have or are planning on ?

4. Are you planning an upgrade, a fresh install or an entire new system?

5. If your like most businesses you are probably running Windows XP still. How will this affect your plan of moving to Windows 7?

6. Are you currently meeting your other critical business needs such as business continuity, disaster recovery, data backup, application development and business process optimization? If not, then you may want to consider investing in these areas before/in conjunction with rolling out a new operating system unless it helps support your end goal.

7. If your office is buying new computers and your still running Windows XP on most machines then you may want to consider buying new PC’s with XP loaded now and plan a rollout Windows 7 as part of a hardware refresh plan.

Nathan Vari is a professional computer consulting for small businesses in Charlotte, NC. He specializes in helping small businesses get the most bang for their buck with the technology they currently have and plan to invest in. Find more by visiting his main site at http://www.charlottecomputerconsultant.com or http://www.ccnsteam.com

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