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It is approaching 1 year since Microsoft released Windows 11, its most recent version of the popular operating system, and adoption is finally starting to ramp up.  Is now the time for businesses to start looking at rolling out Windows 11 across the organisation and what benefits can be expected for doing so?

Why upgrade to Windows 11?

Microsoft have invested heavily in the development of Windows 11 and upgrading can provide significant benefits to users and their digital experience whilst also protecting the business and improving productivity.

Security
In today’s digital world every business is concerned about security and with this in mind security is at the forefront of the Windows 11 operating system, with enhancements including built in security baselines, Windows Security app, Defender anti-virus and Windows Hello For Business. By including fundamental security features in the operating system, Windows 11 reduces the administrative burden and user impact of maintaining a robust security infrastructure allowing your staff to have a more seamless digital experience.  In particular, Windows Hello For Business can help your business adopt more secure authentication, replacing old fashioned passwords with methods such as unique PINs, biometric authentication and facial recognition.

Digital Experience
With Windows 11, your team has much more control and customisation of their working experience, allowing them to configure their system in a way that works best for them.  Multi-tasking features such as Snap Layouts and Snap Groups help users organise and save the size and location of apps on their desktops for their optimal workflow and recall those saved layouts at a later date – ideal for users who constantly resize documents and spreadsheets side by side to complete their tasks.

The virtual desktops feature has also been enhanced, allowing users to select different desktops depending on the apps and data they want to access without constantly closing/minimising different applications. A great example may be your company finance team, who have one virtual desktop to work on the accounts data, a second virtual desktop for the HR systems, and a final virtual desktop for general purpose work and communication. The seamless transition between each working environment saves time and frustration compared to a single desktop with everything running.

Access to Android Apps
Windows 11 introduces the Windows Subsystem for Android, allowing users to use Android apps on their Windows 11 device.  This is a great feature for businesses which purchase additional devices to have access to the Android ecosystem – now it is all built into Windows 11 and a single device.

So far, the benefits of adopting Microsoft’s latest addition seem obvious but before spending your hard-earned cash let’s look at the history of Microsoft’s introduction to new technology.

Historically Microsoft has not had the success they would have hoped for with several of their updates.  Windows XP was reliable and functional whilst Windows Vista was massively disliked with it being said to have had too many issues.  Then came Windows 7 which was considered a success, followed by Windows 8 which was criticised for the removal of the start button.  Then finally Windows 10, a widely used system which people seem to have bought into.  Based on the pattern Windows 11 should be avoided whilst we all wait for Windows 12. However, Windows 11 is not a re-invention of the Microsoft operating system, but builds upon the stable and popular Windows 10, enhancing what is already considered to be a good, reliable system.

Windows 11 does have a stricter hardware requirement than previous versions which means not all hardware, particularly older hardware, will be able to install the operating system.  Technologies such as up to date CPUs and TPM chips are required, but by investing in hardware that meets these requirements will provide better performance for your teams and improve productivity.

As your IT experts, David Allen IT Solutions can help you roll out Windows 11 across your business.  We will manage the process from start to finish advising you on the best way to deliver the new system and sourcing the right hardware to maximise staff productivity.

Call us on 01228 585300 to speak to myself, David Arnold or one of our expert team members.