In such cases, IT may be able to give users a thin client OS — such as the ChromeOS Flex or IGEL Secured OS — or move them to Linux, which has a similar look and feel to Windows, and forgo Windows entirely at the endpoint.
For Portland Internetworks’ clients, however, migrating to Windows 11 is the most likely outcome. “There are short-term workarounds like VMs or VDI, but we guide clients toward best practices: upgrading hardware and apps to ensure a secure, supported Windows 11 environment,” Ebron says.
Expect a smooth transition — if you’ve prepared
“With the right planning and support, the move to Windows 11 can be seamless,” Microsoft’s Kennestrand says — and based on reports from some organizations that have migrated, that appears to be the case. Once hardware and application compatibility issues have been identified and resolved, IT leaders say, the actual transition has gone well.
“I’ve been in IT for more than 20 years, and this was one of the easiest migrations I’ve seen,” says BSH’s Mamus. Some devices required more time to complete the upgrade, but complaints from the business have been minimal, he says.
Endpoint’s Mayer says most Windows 11 transitions his firm has overseen have been a success. “As a general rule, rollouts have been fairly smooth, with the usual exceptions for hardware and software compatibility,” he says.
Nonetheless, you should plan for things to go wrong. “Every OS upgrade will have a problem somewhere in your infrastructure,” Harrington says, because there are always systems you don’t know about.
Ultimately, says Ameritas’ Martinson, the key to success is to start the process early. But with less than 90 days to go, many organizations are now having to make up for lost time.
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