Windows XP Pro

versus Windows 7 Analysis

Assessing if the design objectives of security and usability in Windows 7 Professional are leading to greater adoption of this operating system and motivating small businesses standardized on Windows XP Professional to migrate is the intent of this study. Microsoft has defined security and usability as the two highest priority design objectives of Windows 7 Professional. These two areas represent the primary weaknesses of Windows XP Professional. The research questions focus on how small business owners and CEOs, in addition to Chief Information Officers (CIO) in the company are making the decision of whether to migrate from Windows XP Professional to Windows 7 Professional. Perceptions of cost, security, usability and value were included in the survey, which included eleven total questions. Questions one and two were qualifiers for survey participation and covered the number of employees in the company and gross revenues per year. The maximum thresholds on these amounts where 500 employees and up to $500,000 in annual revenue, with the primary respondents being defined as CEO, CIO and senior management. The questions focused on whether or not the company had migrated from Windows XP Professional to Windows 7 Pro, and if they had not, what their timeframes were for making the transition. Factors that led to the company transitioning from Windows XP Pro to Windows 7 Pro were captured as part of the research instrument, which was a survey. An initial sample of 500 small businesses was contacted and 487 met the criterion to be included in the sample. Manufacturing, computers, financial, education and transportation industries were the most represented in the sample of small businesses. 73% of respondents mentioned that they were only somewhat satisfied with Windows XP Pro. Cost, while not a primary consideration, was a factor in all decisions to migrate to Windows 7 Pro from Windows XP Pro. The Internet was used 67% of the time for information and technical magazines, 22%. The conclusion is that the majority of small businesses in the sample see the value of Windows 7 Pro over Windows XP Pro and have equated security and usability with greater explicit value in the operating system.