Prior to the launch, Ovum principal analyst, enterprise mobility and productivity, Richard Edwards, looked at how easy Microsoft will find it to get users to upgrade to Windows 10.
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"Ovum believes that getting Windows 7 users to upgrade to Windows 10 is not going to be easy, as there are two distinct yet interconnected markets to engage -- the consumer and the business user -- and each presents Microsoft with a different set of challenges and opportunities vis-à-vis Windows 7, 8, and 10," he said.
Ovum's research data indicates that businesses and institutions will continue to deploy Windows 7 for the time being, even though "mainstream support" came to an end last week. "Extended support" for Windows 7 runs through to January 2020, so there's no compelling reason for organisations to make the upgrade unless Microsoft presents one on Wednesday, according to Edwards.
The big question is can Microsoft recover from the Windows 8 debacle
"CIOs and corporate IT managers monitor this event closely, as every employee is first and foremost a consumer, and may be adopting bring-your-own-device (BYOD) to get work done. There could also be announcements that will materially affect business user computing strategies, as Microsoft and its Windows hardware partners try to re-boot the PC industry and gain a foothold in smartphone and tablet markets," Edwards said,
"Microsoft is no stranger to 'debacles' where Windows is concerned [remember Windows Vista], but the effort, resources, and time required to extricate the company from each predicament increases with every occurrence. Indeed, on the last occasion Microsoft had to find itself a new CEO to steer the company away from the proverbial rocks.
"Yes, Microsoft can recover from the flop that was Windows 8, but it needs to plot a new course for its operating systems strategy to do so."
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