Assume that you are the Chief Information Officer of a medium-sized information
ID: 3621330 • Letter: A
Question
Assume that you are the Chief Information Officer of a medium-sized information services company, and the proposal has been made to upgrade or change your operating system. In a short (3-5 page) paper:Make a case to the CEO FOR or AGAINST investment in a new operating system.
Expectations:
Although we have given artilces on Vista, you don't need to be limited here. You can choose to discuss any type of OS and the OS you propose for or against can be for individual users or server.
Make sure to discuss both sides and pick the stand. Please consider both technology and business issues. Make sure to refer the above articles and synthesize the findings in supporting your discussions.
Among other things, you'll probably want to comment on not just the operating system by itself, but also on the kinds of applications software that it would support in relationship to your business.
Also make sure to have your own independent critial views on the issues as well. Make sure to discuss rigorously with evidence and reasons.Make sure to discuss the issues comprehensively and in-depth.
Explanation / Answer
Windows 7 operating system:
Windows 7 enterprise is the most advanced windows operating system for business PC’s yet, designed to meet the evolving needs of the users and IT professional in enterprises. With enhanced feature and benefits, windows 7 enterprise drives lower total cost of ownership by helping users stay productive anywhere, enhaqncing security and control, and simplifying PC management across the organizations. Main features of windows 7 operating system are:
Features:
1. User Account Control:
Users can reduce the frequency that user account control asks for permission to install or change a program and also have the option to turn off permission requests.
2. AppLocker:
AppLocker lets you restrict programs execution based on path, publisher or hash rules in group policy that could prove to be a handy feature for portable systems that are used both in a business environment and a home environment.
3. BitLocker:
BitLocker now supports single key instances, allowing data to be recovered using a common encryption key assigned by the network administrator.
4. System application permissions:
Microsoft has reduced the number of application that requires administrator level permissions to execute with windows 7.
5. Action Center: It is a new security management feature that rolls all alerts and warnings into a single console.
6. Libraries: These are similar to folders, but they group files based upon file type.
7. Windows Search: Search can now return results from libraries and external resources.
8. Windows Touch: users can now leverage touch-screen technology to select icons and control applications.
9. Ready Boost: Windows 7 lifts that limit and allows users to plug in multiple key drives or other high-speed memory device to crank up the boost where as vista allows only one device.
10. Battery performance: Windows 7 offers more intelligence than vista when it comes to powering peripherals and running applications.
11. Troubleshooting: windows 7 features enhancements that should make troubleshooting and recovering from problems much easier than in earlier versions of the operating system.
12. Device management: A window 7 groups all external devices together under a single device state window, which makes it much easier for the user to work with and manage external devices.
13. Wireless connectivity: wireless devices are more easily installed and many more devices are supported with windows 7.The Windows Connect Now feature helps to simplify the process of joining wireless networks.
14. Remote connections: several new capabilities have been added to remote desktop protocol that will enhance remote desktop functions.
Finally based on all the enterprise features windows 7 has adopting windows 7 now saves a lot of effort in managing IT infrastructure and making users more productive by
a) Adopting direct access will eliminate extra effort to maintain VPN servers and also makes it easy to manage mobile computers by updating group policy setting and software without any need for user to connect through VPN.
b) Adopting BranchCache will reduce the waiting times for downloading data from head office and make users more productive by saving lot of waiting times.
c) Using AppLocker will reduce administrative overhead and help IT administrators to control what applications users can access and can prevent accidental installation of malware by users.
d) Using BitLocker reduces the risk of data theft or misuse of the data when the portable drive is lost accidentally.
e) Using virtual desktop infrastructure in windows 7 makes it easier for IT department to maintain the windows 7 OS image as the same image can be used for virtual and physical environments.VDI also supports using the hardware of the machine like microphone, from which it is being accessed making it more productive.
f) Using language packs in windows 7 reduce the cost of maintain separate image for each language and makes it easier for IT department by updating the master image alone whenever an OS update is released.