An IT Professional’s Technology Wish List

When most people think about making a holiday wish list they think of things like toys, home gadgets, and jewelry. However, if you happen to be an IT professional you may have different items on your list, ones that include upgrading PCs and software and virtualization technologies. We listened to some IT professionals and here is a list of some of the things they’re wishing for this holiday season.

One thing I want this holiday season is to move my PCs from Windows XP to Windows 7.

With end of support for Windows XP quickly approaching in April 2014, many IT Professionals want to make the move to Windows 7 so they can avoid having to migrate on a timeline or possibly run an unsupported version of Windows. So if you are an IT professional and have Windows 7 on your wish list this year we suggest that you take the leap and start migrating to the Windows 7 platform which offers enhanced security and control, increased user productivity, and streamlined PC management to reduce IT costs and increase business agility.

I wish my stocking has a magic wand that resolves application compatibility issues.

Let’s face it, application compatibility (especially when moving off of old technology like Windows XP) takes some time. If you’re an IT Professional dealing with this frustration we suggest you look into Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) as one of the solutions to consider in the New Year to help all your applications work in 2012. MED-V allows your users to easily create, deliver and centrally manage a virtual Windows environment by enabling incompatible apps to operate in their “native” environment. Additionally, while you are upgrading to Windows 7 you can retain access to legacy business apps that require Windows XP.

I hope my boss put some new ultrathin PCs under the employee tree.

Ultrathin PCs are all the rage this year and we know that many IT Professionals will look for ways to get employees off bulky desktops and on to something new. Maybe you’re a business looking for a machine that features a long battery life, such as the HP Pavilion DM1 or Toshiba Portege Z835, so you don’t have to worry about charging your PC until the end of the day. Or maybe you need your employees to be mobile and need a machine like Acer Aspire S3 and Samsung Series 7 Slate PC, which are light, thin, and easy to take on the road. No matter what your business needs may be, there is a Windows PC out there that will benefit all of your users.

Santa, please take our company sky-high and give us PC management in the cloud.

Companies are implementing cloud strategies left and right into their business model. If you’re an IT Professional looking to manage and secure your PCs from anywhere you should check out Windows latest cloud offering Windows Intune. Windows Intune brings together a Windows 7 enterprise experience with a cloud service to deliver a single, seamless experience to users without having to build a big server infrastructure. This cloud service offers you a simple, web-based management solution to help deliver an up-to-date and secure Windows experience, regardless of where your employees are working. Additionally, if you use Windows Intune you receive upgrade rights to the latest versions of the Windows OS, offering a great opportunity for businesses to upgrade their PCs today.

I want to start 2012 with a bang by upgrading business software from Office 2003 to Office 2010.

Not only should you as an IT Professional be looking to upgrade your operating system this holiday season, but you might also want to take steps to upgrade the software your business uses every day. Office 2010 has new and improved features such as Co-authoring and Ignore Conversation, but still offers your users the familiarity and simplicity of the old Office that people know and love. Additionally, Office 2010 redefines what’s possible with the best productivity experience across PCs, phones and browsers, and your business will continue to see the immediate value of Office 2010’s new functionality. Also, like Windows XP, Office 2003 will reach the end of support in April 2014, making it critical for your business to upgrade so you can stay supported this holiday season

To all you IT Professionals out there we hope that all your IT wishes do come true this holiday season. And if you have other wishes on your list that we didn’t talk about please feel free to leave a comment below. Happy Holidays!