UPDATED 12:41 EDT / JULY 31 2015

NEWS

HP wants to help simplify the switch to Windows 10 for CIOs

Downloading Windows 10 is as easy as hitting the upgrade icon in the system tray for the average consumer, but it’s an entirely different story in large enterprises with upwards of tens of thousands of users to manage. The challenge lies not so much in the installation itself as moving the related organizational processes, which Hewlett-Packard Co. wants to help simplify with its latest service bundle.

The launch of the suite comes less than 72 hours of Microsoft Corp. releasing the new version of its operating system, too short of a window for customers to start looking at competitors, most of which have yet to introduce their own migration packages. But the average buyer of such services is no in rush to make the switch.

In fact, so many organizations are still trying to move applications off Windows Server 2003 in the wake of its support guarantees expiring that HP recently launched a targeted effort codenamed Operation Crescendo to help with the transition. But a no less significant portion will begin the preparations for the switch to Windows 10 in the coming quarters, and the HP’s new bundle provides a readily-available starting point.

HP Test Drive Services for Windows 10, the first of the four major components of the suite, offers customers assistance in setting up an initial control group of employees to test out the capabilities of the release. It’s a one-stop-shop kind of deal that includes all the necessary hardware, courtesy of the company’s consumer electronics business, as well as help with moving users’ settings, data and applications onto the new devices.

After that’s done and a company is ready to roll out Windows 10 to the rest of its workforce, the CIO will be able to choose between enrolling members of their team in a workshop to hammer out a plan for the migration or let HP take care of the legwork. According the company, the latter option involves its consultants handling everything from the initial installation to ongoing support.

The technology giant is also throwing in an software migration service for organizations that still rely on web applications designed to run in older versions of Internet Explorer. Most of the services in the bundle are available immediately except the managed company-wide transition offering, which will launch in October.

Photo via Microsoft

A message from John Furrier, co-founder of SiliconANGLE:

Support our mission to keep content open and free by engaging with theCUBE community. Join theCUBE’s Alumni Trust Network, where technology leaders connect, share intelligence and create opportunities.

  • 15M+ viewers of theCUBE videos, powering conversations across AI, cloud, cybersecurity and more
  • 11.4k+ theCUBE alumni — Connect with more than 11,400 tech and business leaders shaping the future through a unique trusted-based network.
About SiliconANGLE Media
SiliconANGLE Media is a recognized leader in digital media innovation, uniting breakthrough technology, strategic insights and real-time audience engagement. As the parent company of SiliconANGLE, theCUBE Network, theCUBE Research, CUBE365, theCUBE AI and theCUBE SuperStudios — with flagship locations in Silicon Valley and the New York Stock Exchange — SiliconANGLE Media operates at the intersection of media, technology and AI.

Founded by tech visionaries John Furrier and Dave Vellante, SiliconANGLE Media has built a dynamic ecosystem of industry-leading digital media brands that reach 15+ million elite tech professionals. Our new proprietary theCUBE AI Video Cloud is breaking ground in audience interaction, leveraging theCUBEai.com neural network to help technology companies make data-driven decisions and stay at the forefront of industry conversations.