The solution provides the functionality like inventory analysis, validation and remediation. Wipro has deployed this desktop deployment solution to over 20 large and mid-sized enterprises and the company said that it has seen more than 20 percent cost benefits for the customers, reports PTI.

1. Windows 7 is delivered as a system-prepared and file-based image itself. It is designed to install on most common hardware platforms using the same image.

2. Windows 7 is architected in a way that enables you to get to a single system image to manage, regardless of the hardware you plan to reinstall it on.

3. Windows 7 includes the System Preparation Tool (Sysprep) as an in-box executable and can be used to prepare a custom installation of Windows including your applications for redeployment.

4. Windows 7 images can be captured, mounted and applied using a free command line tool included in the Windows Automated Installation Kit called ImageX and they can be audited/edited offline using the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) command line tool.

5. Windows 7 custom images are often 5GB or larger, but they can be efficiently deployed over the network using Multicast Multiple Stream Transfer in Windows Server 2008 R2’s Windows Deployment Services role.

6. Windows 7 and the User State Migration Tool introduce hard-link migration to quickly migrate user files and settings in-place when moving the same PC from Windows XP or Windows Vista to Windows 7.

7. Windows 7 deployments can be completely automated when moving from Windows XP to Windows 7 (user state, OS, drivers, applications, domain join, etc.) using the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 or System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2.

It’s time to get Windows 7 in the hands of your employees, and Microsoft have plenty of resources to help. Check out Windows 7 Deployment zone and find guidance on Choosing a Deployment Strategy, Step By Step Migration, and a four-part videos series on Windows 7 deployment tools:

• Part 1: Preparing an Image using Sysprep and ImageX

• Part 2: Deployment Image and Servicing Management

• Part 3: Deployment Workbench in Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010

• Part 4: Windows XP to Windows 7 Migration

Windows 7 is yet to be officially launched in the Indian market, but the pirated version of Microsoft’s new operating system is already being offered by several retail shops in major metros and can even be downloaded for free from various internet websites.

Software piracy has been the biggest concern for top software makers, especially in countries such as India and China, where consumers are tempted to buy cheaper and, at times, free versions of the latest software. As a result of this, the Indian software industry loses nearly $2.8 billion every year because of piracy. The exchequer also loses tax revenues worth around $200 million annually because of unauthorized software sales in the country.

The full version of Windows 7 software available with black marketers does not even require a key, which is a 16 character alphanumeric unique number that comes with officially purchased software. Sellers, who spoke with Economic Times on conditions of anonymity, said that they are already selling Windows 7 at Rs.50 for each CD. While some are buying pirated CDs from these shops, there are many others who prefer to download Windows 7 by simply running a search for the software on popular websites such as torrentz.com, torrentscan.com, isohunt.com and torrent-finder.com.

Apart from the latest Windows 7 software, many users are also buying older beta versions, such as Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC), which will expire on June 1 next year. However, users who install this version will have to face several technical hiccups. Computers running Windows 7 RC version will find their systems shutting down every 30 minutes starting March 2010.

The analysts complain that Windows 7 lack direct upgrades from XP. It also fails to offer a smooth transition from XP as there is no upgrade option. This means that the users will have to go for a fresh install.
"After the issues with Windows Vista, and knowing that the vast majority of users-both consumer and enterprise-are still relying on Windows XP, it seems like a direct upgrade path is a necessity. Many users may be frustrated by the lack of upgrade path and having to do a fresh install, reinstall all of the other software and migrate user settings. Microsoft has provided tools to ease the pain, but this is still the biggest opportunity for negative portray or backlash related to Windows 7," said Tony Bradley, PC World.
According to Microsoft, the upgrade option is not available in Windows 7 setup while installing on a computer which runs Windows XP. However, users can use Windows Easy Transfer to migrate files and settings from Windows XP to Windows 7 on the same computer.
The basic requirements of a PC to run on Windows 7 are 1GHz processor, minimum 1GB of RAM and 16GB hard drive space. This means that any hardware that worked with Vista will work for Windows 7 too.
Also, the most crucial reason for Vista not succeeding was that the operating system almost forced a hardware upgrade on users. It is expected that almost similar requirement does not hamper the prospects of Windows 7. It’s is also to be noted here that the basic PC configuration has seen a jump since Vista days.
According to Bradley, Windows Vista slipped up due to the lack of hardware and device driver support. He says, "The vendors just were not ready when Vista was launched and never really recovered from the damaged reputation even after most of those issues were resolved."
The users may find that their existing printer, wireless router, webcam, and other peripheral hardware devices don’t work with the new OS. This means either they stop working on that hardware or look for new compatible hardware.
The most controversial and much maligned feature of Vista, User Account Control (UAC) is also a part of Windows 7. It was designed to prevent unauthorized execution of code by displaying a pop up warning every time a change is being made to the system, whether by the OS or by any third party application.
Many Vista users complained of getting too many warnings. It proved a huge annoyance for users installing new applications frequently.