Previously, we discussed what the withdrawal of support for Windows 10 means for businesses and the benefits of switching to its replacement, Windows 11. In this piece, we’ll guide you through the factors you should consider to ensure a successful transition to Windows 11 and introduce you to the features and changes you can expect from Microsoft’s latest operating system.
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Planning Your Migration – Factors to Consider
Windows 11 is available as a free download to Windows 10 customers, and for most, making the switch is a pain-free and relatively straightforward task. However, there are a few considerations to make prior to the transition that will help you avoid future problems and ensure you’re able to capitalise on the benefits of the new system. For the best chance of a trouble-free migration, we recommend seeking the support of fully-qualified IT professionals. They’ll ensure device and software compatibility issues are addressed prior to the switch, preventing trouble further down the line.
Here are some important factors to consider when planning your migration:
- Device Compatibility: Ensure your devices meet the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 11, which are more demanding than previous Windows operating systems. You’ll have to ensure devices meet the minimum standards for RAM, storage, processing power, and feature Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 implementation. Read Windows 11’s technical requirements here.
- Application Compatibility: Make an inventory of your business-critical applications and determine whether these are compatible with Windows 11 before making the switch. This may be a good opportunity to replace or consider alternative arrangements for outdated legacy applications. Ensure incompatible systems are accounted for and arrangements are made to support vital processes during the migration process.
- Security Assessment: You may have to alter your business’s security policies slightly to reflect changes in the security features in Windows 11, compared to those in Windows 10. Revise security policies before making the switch, and ensure staff understand how any new security features will impact them.
- Support Timeframes: Ensure your IT personnel are familiar with the support programme for Windows 11, including support timelines, update cycles, and when forthcoming new features are expected to arrive.
- Back Up Important Data: It’s highly unlikely that switching to Windows 11 will compromise your data, but nothing should ever be left to chance when it comes to information security. Make data loss prevention a priority in your migration by backing up critical files, databases, emails, user profiles, settings, and configurations using a dedicated data backup service.
- Budget for Secondary Expenses: Set aside contingency funds for costs that might be incurred during the migration. Windows 11 itself is a free upgrade, but you may have to budget for hardware upgrades or staff training.
Change Management – Get the Most Out of Windows 11 with an Adoption Strategy
As we’ve discussed, Windows 11 offers a range of benefits over its predecessor. However, realising these benefits requires a degree of change management to ensure users understand how to take full advantage of Windows 11’s new capabilities and functionalities.
Draw up an adoption strategy that ensures the desired benefits of your Windows 11 adoption are brought to fruition. Make users central to the migration process, ensuring that all staff feel supported and empowered to fully utilise any new features available to them.
Consider the following to derive maximum benefit from your Windows 11 migration:
Incremental Deployment
Manage risk, minimise disruption, and gain the opportunity to gather feedback by rolling out Windows 11 gradually across your business. This approach will enable you to learn from minor mistakes and setbacks experienced during the first deployment phase, allowing you to make changes to the migration process ahead of a wider rollout.
Employee Communication
It’s important to let employees know how your migration to Windows 11 will affect them, and when their department can expect to be enrolled onto the new operating system. Set out a timeframe from the adoption of Windows 11 across your business to align expectations and ease anxieties.
Employee Training
While Windows 11 features an intuitive interface and a shallow learning curve, some of your users may benefit from some guided assistance to help them get the most out of their new operating system. Consider providing access to training resources, including documentation and video tutorials, that employees can readily access as necessary. If viable, supplement this material with a few training sessions that focus on Windows 11’s fundamental changes and most impactful new features.
Gather and Assess Feedback
Gather feedback from employees on the migration process. Ask them what went well, and what could be done to make such a project run better in the future. This exercise will provide valuable insights into the success of your deployment strategy and help guide future projects towards the best possible outcomes.
What’s New in Windows 11? – 6 Big Changes You Can Expect
Microsoft haven’t reinvented the wheel with Windows 11. The newest operating system incorporates the best bits of Windows 10, retains many interface elements that Windows users will immediately recognise, while skilfully weaving design changes and new features into the mix.
Some of the changes are subtle, while others are more obvious. Here are some of the most notable changes you will encounter when switching to Windows 11:
A Modern, Simplified Interface
Microsoft has brought Windows into the 2020s with a clean, crisp, and minimalist interface. There’s a slightly Apple-inspired design language, with a centred taskbar, muted colours, rounded edges, and a new, simplified Start menu.
Microsoft Teams Takes Pride of Place
Windows 11 gives Teams its own taskbar icon, positioning the popular app as the system’s default communication tool. Start chats, meetings, and calls in as little as two or three clicks, and SMS integration means your contacts don’t even have to have a Microsoft account.
Touch-Optimisation
Windows 11 ushers in a number of refinements designed to provide a better experience for touchscreen users. Enlarged ‘touch targets’ make it easier to relocate and resize windows, and the addition of new gesture controls supports effortless navigation between virtual desktops, windows, and menus.
Organise Apps with Snap Layouts and Groups
Windows 11 provides more options than ever before when it comes to the screen layout of application windows. ‘Snap layouts’ enable users to populate a number of layout templates with the apps of their choice, and ‘snap groups’ make it possible to save these layouts in the taskbar for future use.
Better Support for Virtual Desktops
Windows 11 has streamlined the process of creating, organising, and configuring virtual desktops. Users now have the ability to personalise the backgrounds of their virtual desktops, making it easier to identify the desktop required for a specific task or project. Taskbar integration affords effortless navigation between apps, and users enjoy enhanced flexibility in crafting, reorganising, and removing virtual desktops to suit their workflow or preferences.
Widgets Have a New Home
Widgets are no longer standalone applications, as they’ve now been consolidated into a dedicated AI-curated feed that’s integrated into the taskbar. Users can personalise this feed to display information that’s relevant to them, with a range of Microsoft and third-party widgets that’s expected to expand over time as more organisations make the switch to Windows 11.
Final Thoughts
With the end of the road for Windows 10 fast approaching, many businesses have already transitioned to its accomplished replacement, and uncovered the many new features and design changes that make it such an effective productivity tool.
Is your business still using Windows 10? Now’s the time to start your migration to Windows 11 to ensure your hardware remains dependable, secure, and aligned with the latest technology trends.
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