For the Vista migration plans mentioned here, we had four steps. This is Step 1 which has a total of nine (9) stages. Stages 1 thru 5 are listed here.
At the Day Job, our plan for migrating client desktops to Vista was simple: know everything!
1) Partner with Microsoft closely in order to learn everything possible about Vista: We joined many interest groups and forums, went to partner events, and participated in as many betas as we could.
2) Migrate clients to a Windows Server SBS-based client-server operating environment: We operate in the SMB space, and a decision made back in 2002 to gently prod customers into upgrading to a server-based computing environment was accelerated, for data security, ease of deployment, and ease of management. We are at 100% for all clients.
3) Convert entire client base to Windows XP: On December 14, 2005, we achieved a 100% penetration of Windows XP into our entire client desktop/notebook base. As a result, all completed, current, and future migrations will only be from Windows XP to Vista, which, incidentally, is the only upgrade path available. Our decision to do so was because we wanted to eliminate a down level support nightmare.
4) Introduce clients to the benefits of the Microsoft Licensing and Software Assurance, and Financing programs: How easy is it to get on Microsoft Licensing: five licenses! If you add SA and Financing to it, the valueadd is a no-brainer. For SMB (and all) clients, Microsoft Financing provides financing for hardware, software, and services. Yes, services! Now why aren’t you onboard?
5) Inform the client base about the benefits of Vista: For this, I started a monthly email newsletter, The Interlocutor, directed at all desktops/accounts that we manage, which detailed our beta tests of Vista. This made all our users aware of the pending inevitability of Vista. I sought, and received permission from all my clients to deliver a copy of the newsletter to all Exchange mailboxes we manage. We also undertook to make monthly visits to customer sites, making sure the VITOs* were cognizant of the advent of Vista as well. At the name launch of Microsoft Windows Vista (from Windows codenamed Longhorn) back on July 22, 2005 (video ), I had the opportunity to be at the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington, and I got a poster from Microsoft detailing a marketing message about Vista: Connected, Clear, Confident. This message resonated with me, and my beta tests of Vista. I then developed a positional statement I constantly conveyed to clients detailing what benefits Vista would deliver to them. This helped Vista achieve an unprecedented mindshare among the executives at client companies.
6) Inventory the client’s hardware computing resources in order to identify systems requiring hardware upgrades in order to run Vista:
7) Make sure that clients’ software was compatible with Vista:
8) Create a timetable for training users on Vista: and
9) Have a coherent plan for migrating both users and their data to Vista.
*VITO: Very Important Top Officer, of a company, which, in the SMB space, is usually the business owner.
I will expand on points #6-#9 in my follow-up to this post.
