60% of firms not planning on Windows 7 upgrade

Windows 7 business will have virtual XP
Windows 7 business will have virtual XP

A poll has suggested that 60 per cent of companies may choose not to update their software to Windows 7 – in what will be a worrying survey for Microsoft.

Reuters reports that a survey conducted by ScriptLogic on 1,000 companies suggested that many will not be taking the step to Vista's successor, despite the positive feedback on Windows 7.

Factors such as budget in a tricky financial time and lack of resources to deploy a whole new operating system could restrict early sales of Windows to businesses – and that could have a knock on effect for other consumers.

5.4 per cent aiming for 2009

Apparently, ScriptLogic sent out 20,000 surveys to IT admins and found that 60 per cent of respondents had no intentions of upgrading, with 34 per cent planning to upgrade by the end of 2010 and only 5.4 per cent planning to install by the end of this year.

Microsoft has already taken a hit from its Vista operating system not wowing its enterprise customers in the same way that the ubiquitous Windows XP did – with even close partner Intel deciding not to move on to the much-maligned OS.

Should Windows 7 not become a popular mainstay of the corporate world then that does have a knock on effect for the home computer market – where familiarity with XP may prevent upgrades although that will be negated somewhat by new computer purchases shipping with the latest Windows.

Via Reuters

Patrick Goss

Patrick Goss is the ex-Editor in Chief of TechRadar. Patrick was a passionate and experienced journalist, and he has been lucky enough to work on some of the finest online properties on the planet, building audiences everywhere and establishing himself at the forefront of digital content.  After a long stint as the boss at TechRadar, Patrick has now moved on to a role with Apple, where he is the Managing Editor for the App Store in the UK.