Datasheet

One of the first steps you need to take when planning a migra-
tion to Windows 7 is choosing which edition of Windows 7 to
deploy. For an enterprise, your choice is limited to Windows 7
Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate. To make the right choice,
you’ll need to know what features are available in each edition.
Once you identify the edition you’ll use, you need to come up with a migration plan.
Because many organizations will be upgrading existing Windows XP computers to
Windows 7, having a solid plan to migrate users’ data is very important. The User State
Migration Tool (USMT) can simplify this process for you with the use of
ScanState and
LoadState.
Although virtualization wasn’t common on end users’ desktops in the past, the new
Windows XP Mode available in Windows 7 is sure to change this for many users. It’s now
possible for end users to run applications on a Windows 7 system in a transparent virtual
instance of Windows XP.
Activation of Windows 7 can be done individually, with a Multiple Activation Key or
with a Key Management Service server. Whereas home users will always use individual
activation, you may need to use one of the other methods in larger or isolated enterprises.
Choosing a Windows 7 Edition
When planning a migration or tech refresh, a simple question to ask is what Windows 7
edition is needed. Windows 7 offers six editions, but you’ll quickly whittle down the choice
to just three for an enterprise because the first three are too basic for a work environment.
Microsoft lists this topic in some documentation as “Choosing a SKU
(Stock Keeping Unit).” An SKU is the number associated with the bar code
you see on just about any product these days.
These are the three basic editions that you won’t see in an enterprise:
Windows 7 Starter Some original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) preinstall this edi-
tion on specialized computers. It includes the fewest features, and it will not be available in
64-bit versions.
597095c01.indd 2 6/2/10 4:12:55 PM