of coarse in the real world.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/adriankingsleyhughes/2013/05/19/why-enterprise-is-avoiding-windows-8/
Why Enterprise Is Avoiding Windows 8
So, what’s holding Windows 8 back?
Forrester Research analyst David Johnson believes that the problem lies with the fact that Microsoft’s newest operating system doesn’t bring anything of real value to the table.
“Enterprises just don’t see Windows 8 having value,” wrote Johnson in a recent report. “They don’t see the value in the changes in Windows 8.”
Johnson goes on to list a number of reasons why businesses are shunning Windows 8, which range from finger-pointing at the new touch-centric ‘Modern’ user interface and the huge training and support burdens that it might bring with it, to the issue of “upgrade fatigue” as a result of the work done to eliminate Windows XP from corporate networks in favor on Windows 7.
Another factor cited by Johnson is Microsoft’s announcement that Windows 8.1, codenamed ‘Blue,” will be released later this year as the first of a raft of annual updates to Windows.
“Blue gives Windows 8 a better chance of adoption,” claimed Johnson. “But the success of that strategy depends on whether enterprises accept the new value in each update, and has much to do with the amount of differences from release to release. That’s the central question.”
While the Forrester report has done quite a comprehensive job of outlining some the headwinds facing Windows 8 adoption in by enterprise market, there are a few key issues missing from the report.
According to a number of IT decision makers I’ve spoken to, one of the key barriers to adoption of Windows 8 is the fact that they see Windows 8 as an “all or nothing upgrade” in that unlike previous versions of Windows, it’s not easy to see how to effectively mix Windows 8 with older versions of Windows in a work setting.
They cite the touch interface, along with the heavy emphasis on apps as making it difficult to roll out the operating system in an incremental way. And right now, most businesses aren’t in the mood to do sweeping upgrades after already having made the switch to Windows 7.
Another problem is the touch interface. In order to make proper use of the Modern user interface, a PC needs to be kitted out with some for of touch input device, whether that be in the form of a screen, pen tablet, or trackpad, and the problem with this is that it add dollars to the bottom line of PC systems while bringing with it little in the way of benefits. In fact, most IT admins believe that Windows 8 will, in the short term at any rate, be a huge drag of productivity as users get accustomed to the changes.
Another problem is uncertainly. While Johnson mentioned Windows 8.1 ‘Blue,’ what he didn’t mention is the ever-growing doubt as to what direction Microsoft is going to take Windows 8 in with this update. Will Microsoft bring back the Start button and Start menu? Will the Start Screen be pushed into the background? Will apps still have center stage?
All this uncertainty means that enterprise customers are unwilling to invest the time and capital involved in rolling out a new platform and training users, when all that effort could be undone by the end of the year with the new release.
On top of that, the notion of yearly releases is making admins lose sleep, as this is an unprecedentedly fast upgrade cycle for the Windows platform. This causes means uncertainly not just now, but for years to come.
And if there’s one thing IT people don’t like, it’s uncertainty.
