Survey Finds Complexity as Major Concern for IT Departments Raising Need for Automated Systems Management Tools
KACE, the leading systems management appliance company, today announced results from a new study that revealed 90 percent of the Windows users polled reported they are concerned about migrating to Vista. In response to concerns about unwanted complexity to their heterogeneous IT environments, 44 percent reported they would consider deployment of alternative operating systems, such as Macintosh and Linux, in order to avoid the migration to Vista. Of those who consider using alternative operating systems, 89 percent said it would be beneficial to use a single systems management interface to manage all types of operating systems in their environments.
The research, consisting of an online survey with 961 respondents, was commissioned by KACE to gather data about the perceived impact of Vista on IT and specifically their operating system adoption strategies. The research shows that IT departments of all sizes have grave concerns about deploying Vista, and are even choosing to deploy alternative operating systems instead. This has lead to a new set of challenges, such as the difficulties derived from managing multiple operating systems and a lack of familiarity with non-Windows alternative operating systems.
“Microsoft, up to this point, has been fighting an uphill battle with Vista largely due to software compatibility and stability issues which are scaring off IT departments from deploying it,” said Diane Hagglund of King Research. “These same IT departments are evaluating alternative methods in order to stave off Vista deployment, but instead are facing new challenges related to managing heterogeneous environments. The added cost and time spent on deployment and education of alternative operating systems have brought to light the importance of systems management devices that deliver a single interface for diverse operating systems.”
A summary of the key findings from the study include:
- 90 percent of participants are concerned about migrating to Windows Vista.
- 89 percent said it would be beneficial to use a single systems management interface to manage all types of operating systems in their environments.
- 53 percent do not have plans to deploy Vista at all and only 13 percent expect they will eventually be fully deployed on Vista.
- 44 percent of companies are considering deploying non-Windows operating systems as an alternative to upgrading to Vista, with Macintosh the most likely OS to be deployed as an alternative.
- 67 percent reported virtualized environments help in enabling the implementation to alternative operating systems.
Understanding the need to manage complexity within heterogeneous IT environments, KACE offers an appliance-based approach that allows IT administrators to cost-effectively manage a variety of operating systems from the ease of a single management interface. The KBOX family of appliances fulfills all of the systems management needs of a medium enterprise from initial computer deployment to ongoing management and retirement, allowing IT departments to save considerable time and money by deploying and managing all types of operating systems.
“Our KBOX appliances help organizations save time and money when provisioning new operating systems and managing Windows and non-Windows operating systems over their lifecycle,” said Rob Meinhardt, co-founder and CEO of KACE. “By leveraging our technology, businesses can simplify and accelerate OS migration. Companies, even those in heterogeneous environments, can start to enjoy the immediate benefits of their technology selections, no matter what it may be, without the frustration and hassles of downtime and lost productivity.”
The full report titled, “Windows Vista Adoption: A Survey of Technology Professionals” is available at: http://www.kace.com/redir/?doc_request=/pdf/index_vista_survey.php.
Survey Methodology
An independent database of IT professionals from small, mid-sized, and large organizations were emailed and invited to participate in the Web survey in November 2007. The 961 participants were not compensated for participation, and represented a wide range of IT functions including hands-on professionals, team managers, and business owners with many participants indicating they had multiple roles within their organization.
About KACE™
KACE™ is the leading systems management appliance company. The award-winning KBOX™ family of appliances delivers easy-to-use, comprehensive systems management capabilities. KACE customers usually install in one day at one third the cost of software alternatives.
KACE is headquartered in Mountain View, California. To learn more about KACE and its product offerings, please visit http://www.kace.com or call 1-877-MGMT-DONE.
