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VMware Survey: IT Pros Have Favorable Impression of Windows 10

Better security, device support and faster deployments listed as top benefits.

• By Keith Ward
• 07/31/2015

IT pros expect good things from the just-released Windows 10, and while they believe it will be the platform of choice in the future, that future won't even get started until next year. Those are the findings of a survey of VMware customers -- the admins, in other words, who will be supporting the new OS on their virtual infrastructure.

VMware's Mark Margevicius reported the results in a post on VMware's End-User Computing Blog. The survey, which was carried out ty TechValidate, canvassed 250 VMware customers. It was completed earlier this month, Margevicius said.

Improving Perceptions
Perhaps the most important finding, from Microsoft's viewpoint, is that a "Large majority of IT professionals expect Windows 10 to meet expectations (77%)." That number reflects an increasingly positive opinion of Microsoft in general, with 34 percent thinking better of the Redmond software giant than previously. It's critical for Microsoft that Windows 10 be well-received, given the generally negative feelings toward Windows 8. Industry perception is that most organizations have avoided Windows 8 in the enterprise, keeping their user base on Windows 7.

When it comes to deploying Windows 10, more than half -- 51 percent, to be exact -- say they'll use virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) to do it. Echoing some of the positives customers see in Windows 10, the report states that "These customer types see Windows 10 migrations as an opportunity to deliver "a better desktop" that is hardware independent, more secure, less costly and is more resilient than conventional PCs."

No Rush on Deployment
Another important survey revelation is that companies will be taking their time to push it out. " Most IT professionals (35%) do not plan to deploy Windows 10 for at least another year," the report states. That would seem to be an optimistic timetable, as the typical company does a lot of testing, and often waits for OS updates that fix initial flaws, before beginning the upgrade process.

It's possible that the process may be speeded up in the case of Windows 10, however, since so many businesses skipped Windows 8 entirely. They may be ready for a refresh cycle, while those who have moved to Windows 8 might not be ready for several more years.

Despite the strong consumer trends toward mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, the survey shows that companies still see the value in Windows, as 90 percent of respondents said it was still "the most relevant platform" for their business.

A 'More Valuable' Platform
Overall, the report's authors appear to have a strongly positive impression of Windows 10, concluding that enterprises shouldn't put off deployments:

"We do believe that organizations should begin their Windows 10 testing in 2015 with eventual wide-scale adoption beginning in 2016. The management, operational and security benefits of Windows 10 makes the platform significantly more valuable than either Window 7 or 8.1 for organizations and users alike."