Windows 10 On Pace to Be the Most Popular OS By 2017

With Windows 10 making leaps and bounds in the business environment, Microsoft has created another commercial success for both consumer use and workplace productivity. In recent weeks, Windows 10’s adoption has slowed significantly, but in a few years it’s expected to surpass other Windows operating systems in terms of usability.

Gartner has made a prediction that, by January 2017, Windows 10 will be used by half of all businesses, making it the most widely used Windows version so far. This comes off as a surprise, especially since its adoption rate has seemingly plateaued as of late. Businesses still tend to stick to operating systems that they know and love, like Windows 7, and feel little need to move to something bigger and better. Still, there are some factors that can change Windows 10’s adoption rate for the better.

For example, Windows 7, which is widely considered to be the favored Windows operating system at the present moment, will reach its end of support date in January 2020. While this sounds like it’s far off, it doesn’t change the fact that Microsoft will eventually stop supporting Windows 7, just like it stopped supporting Windows XP. Considering the fact that Windows 8 and 8.1 aren’t very popular, the clear cut winner here is Windows 10.

According to ZDNet:

Gartner said many organizations are planning to begin pilots for Windows 10 in the first half of 2016, and will broaden their deployments later in the year. It expects that at least half of organizations will have started some production deployments by the beginning of 2017, with an eye to completing their migrations in 2019.

Up until fairly recently, Windows 10 was a huge hit, which can be attributed to the free download from Windows 7 and 8.1 for the first year of Windows 10’s existence. This pushed Windows 10’s growth rate far past that of Windows 7 and 8, and while the consumer might see nothing wrong with an immediate upgrade to Windows 10, businesses might see things differently. Basically, businesses that want to adopt Windows 10 won’t do so right away. Instead, they’ll be making plans to do so in the near future.

The lesson that you can learn here is that, while upgrading to the latest Windows operating system has its merits, you should be approaching it in a logical manner. If other businesses are waiting to take advantage of Windows 10, doesn’t it make sense to get a head start on them by leveraging the latest and greatest Windows operating system? Doing so will help you take better advantage of your resources, including your current (and future) technology solutions. Plus, you’ll be able to rest easy knowing that your technology is up to date.

Still, you don’t want to blindly upgrade. You need to make sure that the upgrade isn’t going to complicate your usage of legacy applications. This means that you’ll want to consult a trained technician before upgrading. For help answering any questions you have about Windows 10, give us a call at (803) 298-3008.