Windows 10 – Readiness, Transformation, and Operational Success with SysTrack

Lakeside Delivers Valuable Windows 10 Transformation Resources

In this blog post Lakeside Software provides a summary of resources focused towards IT and business decision makers to help with understanding the challenges and approaches for creating successful Windows 10 migration projects. As plans for Windows 10 upgrades begin to take shape there is a much greater need for IT to leverage Lakeside Software’s SysTrack solution. Leveraging SysTrack gives IT the visibility into accurate system readiness, while overcoming desktop transformation barriers to enable easier and faster upgrades. Most importantly SysTrack helps IT to achieve ongoing operational success with Windows 10 and future Windows upgrades and updates moving forward.

Readiness Success with SysTrack

To help get started down the path of Windows 10 readiness it is still admittedly important to look at what software and hardware devices are already compatible and ready for the upgrade. Even though most systems running Window 7 and 8.x, along with the software already installed are expected to be compatible with Windows 10, there is an even greater need to make sure that applications are not causing performance issues. This is an area of high value for Lakeside customers using SysTrack, which helps IT identify poorly performing applications prior to upgrading so that issues are not carried forward to Windows 10.

To help explore readiness even further the Lakeside Software team has created a series of blogs, along with a Windows Readiness report and a Windows 10 whitepaper to help you explore these important topics, while outlining where SysTrack delivers ongoing value before, during and after a Windows 10 migration.

We start here with two Lakeside Software blogs posts that talk to the importance of readiness with SysTrack:

Windows 10 Migration, Motivation and Methodology
July 8, 2015

All indications are that Microsoft’s latest OS will enjoy a high adoption rate.  In Dick Murphy’s blog, he discusses how preparation for the inevitable upgrade to the latest/greatest creation by Microsoft can lead to an orderly, data driven adoption versus a process of estimating and hunches.  See how SysTrack can collect the data you’ll need to migrate to Windows 10 in an optimized manner versus a long iterative approach.

Windows 10 Readiness Made Easier
July 14, 2015

Windows 10 adoptions will be ramping up in the coming months, and Lakeside has all the data you need to help with the migration. Ryan Wood discusses the Windows 10 Assessment Report, which is the latest addition to Lakeside’s MarketPlace program. The dynamic report leverages the SysTrack DataMine to illustrate the state of the environment and provide the needed insight to get your organization ready for Windows 10.

Transformational Success with SysTrack

Achieving Windows 10 transformational success requires accurate project planning. The SysTrack platform goes beyond traditional project planning approaches with Image Planner and Transform; two tools designed specifically to help in these areas. Additionally the traditional approach of identifying hardware and software compatibility is still the first step, with application remediation being the second transformation consideration. For the applications that do not immediately pass the app compatibility check, remediation can be addressed using tools like Citrix® AppDNA, which also has direct integration to SysTrack. Also covered in this area are tools like Dell® Changebase and Flexera Software® which can also be leveraged with SysTrack to provide broader app remediation insight and planning. Further still you need datasets specifically focused on Windows 10 transformation, while not leaving out the backend data center infrastructure your end users depend on to continue having a productive experience with Windows 10. These topics are covered in greater depth in these two Lakeside Software blog posts:

Using SysTrack for Windows 10 Migration Project Management
July 30, 2015

The migration to Windows 10 will be challenging for some project managers. Ray Ross discusses some of the issues project managers will face, as well as the benefits project managers can gain by utilizing SysTrack’s data and tools.

Microsoft Kits – Windows 10 Optimization and Data Center Modernization
July 27, 2015

This month marks an interesting period of transition for Microsoft and the Windows landscape. In his latest blog post, Ben Murphy discusses two SysTrack Kits designed to help with the modernization and optimization of existing Windows environments as IT organizations make the move from Server 2003 and start the roadmap for migration to Windows 10.

Ongoing Operational Success with SysTrack

The release of Windows 10 is a pivotal shift for IT from the perspective of the many beneficial features tied to business value that will help drive migrations. Windows 10 is being touted as the last major Windows upgrade. This means that Windows is shifting to a SaaS-style ongoing automatic patching process. Previously major version releases of Windows were seen roughly every 2-3 years, whereas moving forward, upgrades and updates will be delivered automatically; for the most part outside of IT’s control.

The exception to the automatic upgrades fall into the higher end special systems patching options delivered through what’s called a “Long Term Branch” patch management tier. This is not only the most expensive licensing option, but it is targeted towards specific use cases like air traffic control, emergency rooms and other niche use cases. Gartner expects that the majority of enterprises will opt of the less expensive option of “Current Branch for Business”, which automatically installs security patches as they arrive (after being validated in the broader consumer market), while allowing feature updates to be delayed for up to 8 months before you fall out support.

When considering a Windows 10 migration strategy, inevitably IT will need come to terms with and take into consideration the impact of automatic updates to IT systems management processes. As everything but the most expensive patching option plans for Enterprises will be automatic, this new patching paradigm raises questions of control versus security. Security obviously takes precedence, but IT will still need to maintain visibility and control. For example, even if IT is not controlling OS patch management timing and distribution, they will require more visibility than ever into the systems being patched in order to properly support them. This demands even more importance due to patch rollback only being available for 30 days, which means it is critical that any issues be identified faster within that post-patch time period. After 30 days, the patch becomes permanent and cannot be rolled back.

Lakeside Software’s SysTrack solution delivers tremendous value to IT in this area by giving IT the data to know when security patches are pushed out, which systems have received security patches and which haven’t. More importantly is the need to clearly see if patches are in any way affecting the performance of the end point device and in turn impacting the end users productivity. SysTrack does this by continuously assessing the end point and keeping track of the performance over time, showing impact points to the users experience and the root cause(s) of issues from patches, hardware, software, operating system or network dependencies.

Learn more about why SysTrack is the end user computing success platform for Windows 10 upgrades and beyond in Lakeside Software’s Windows 10 whitepaper:

White Paper: Upgrading Windows 10 – Transformation Success with SysTrack
July 28, 2015

In this self-authored whitepaper, I (Jeremy Steinman) dive into Microsoft’s customer focused approach to realizing the value of Windows 10 with easier user adoption and training, along with security and deployment considerations facing businesses exploring the upgrade path to Windows 10. Achieve success by getting answers to key migration questions while measuring the migration and ongoing user experience with SysTrack.

Summary

By reducing efforts and the need for large application and web remediation projects and less need for hardware refreshes, the major inhibitors of past Windows upgrades are no longer prevalent. Even driver update concerns won’t be the dominant delays in business adoption that they once were. Since most applications and hardware are already showing signs of being compatible with Windows 10, along with a robust list of features focused on security, usability and productivity, user acceptance and satisfaction levels are projected to be much higher with Windows 10. Already users are adopting Windows 10 with greater enthusiasm due to the free upgrade offer for Windows 7 and 8.x licensed devices (excluding Windows Enterprise edition). Case in point, in the first 24 hours after the Windows 10 release Microsoft showed a historical and overwhelming response to Windows 10 with over 14 million installs worldwide, with a projected 2 year target of over 1 billion installs: Windows 10 – The First 24 Hours.

Regardless of your Windows 10 upgrade timeline, you can get started now assessing your Windows 10 readiness, while exploring options for planning for a smoother transformation focused on achieving operational success with SysTrack – The End User Computing Success Platform.