Essay --

My Capstone will be the replacement of aging Microsoft Windows XP business computers with newer computers running Microsoft Windows 7. Although Windows 8.1 is currently available, I have chosen to deploy Windows 7 for a myriad of reasons. Windows 7 has gained popularity and a reputation for being a solid replacement for Windows XP. I have worked (officially) in the IT field for over 4 years now, and have been involved in multiple Windows 7 migration projects. I will use my previous experience, in addition to my newly developed skills, to produce a successful plan for rolling out this operating system on a widespread basis. In my experience, projects such as this are not planned very well. My goal is to make sure that every aspect of this project is fully documented, so the steps may be reproduced as needed for this project or duplicated for future projects. This project will be thoughtfully planned from start to finish, with clearly set expectations. Of course, in the real world, not everything can be accounted for at the time, and one must be flexible with the execution of a project of this magnitude, but with the proper planning any obstacle can be overcome. â€Æ' Review of other work During my tenure as an IT professional and during the preparation of this project, I have completed countless hours of research and performed many hands-on tests. One of the case studies I have researched is the Windows 7 migration for Boeing, based out of Chicago, IL. Boeing determined that they needed to ensure a global business strategy, with an increased competitive edge and minimal impact to employees. In order to accomplish this, their IT department performed 6 months of readiness testing on 3,800 applications, 1,800 of which were determined to... ...em to reduce staff by 25%. Their new, modern infrastructure is now easier to administer, and they were able to take advantage of newer efficient applications that were not possible before, such as Microsoft Office Communications Server and SCCM for patch management and application delivery. Users were able to get up to speed quickly with the familiar interface, and overall surveys showed that employees were pleased with the ease of use of the new systems, as many were already using newer operating systems and software at home. The new environment is now more secure, which means less patching for system engineers and less time spent working on machines. Inclusion of features like the Snipping Tool eliminated the need for third party software (and additional cost). PDO also reduced power consumption by using the power options scheduling features included in Windows 7.