Windows 7 Could Open Doors
Well, that's a relief. After the debacle that was Vista, Windows 7 has turned out to be a hit and is already paying dividends for Microsoft. (It even helped Microsoft win a customer-satisfaction battle against Apple, a seemingly impossible feat given the dedication of the Mac masses.)
There's no reason why partners shouldn't jump on this bandwagon. In fact, they should. In one fell swoop, Microsoft seems to have restored its reputation -- the good part of it, anyway -- and won back an impressive number of consumers. And given that folks who make corporate IT spending decisions are consumers, too (like the rest of us), it's very possible that they're high on Windows 7 right now along with a lot of other folks.
So, partners, maybe now is the time to start talking to clients about that hardware (and operating system) refresh. Folks who fork over IT cash might really start thinking about putting XP out to pasture now, especially with the economy seemingly out of the absolute lowest depths of the recession (for now). Or perhaps this is a good time to carry a bunch of other Microsoft products into corporate IT departments under the Windows 7 banner, given that Microsoft has a pretty aggressive and impressive roadmap for 2010.
In any case, there's no time like the present to capitalize on the goodwill and happy feelings surrounding Windows 7. In fact, this might be Vista's parting gift to the channel: Just about any OS would have seemed better after it, especially one like Windows 7 that actually is very good. In fact, maybe Microsoft planned the whole thing to play out this way. OK, probably not...but once again, Redmond seems to be winning in the long run.
How have you capitalized on Windows 7? Do you like it as much as other users seem to? Tell all at [email protected].
Posted by Lee Pender on February 03, 2010