With the clock ticking before support for Windows XP is retired in 2014, every IT professional worth their salt is assessing their options and looking to migrate their systems to a newer version of Windows.

The question is – Which one is right for your enterprise?

During our ‘Accelerating your move to Windows 7’ event we carried out a survey with IT professionals from leading companies and found that 50% of respondents were unsure on the migration route from XP to Windows 8.

Windows 8, the new operating system from Microsoft, is set to be released in Autumn so it’s understandable some companies might think it makes sense to wait before moving onto the latest platform.

Here at Camwood HQ we encourage companies not to be too hasty.

Microsoft still hasn’t released information on whether going straight from Windows XP to Windows 8 will even be possible. It wasn’t possible to upgrade from Windows 95 to XP and the same could happen when trying to upgrade from XP to Windows 8.

Another possible issue is that it could be months before updates to Windows 8 make it stable enough for businesses to use efficiently, another concern raised by 50% of IT leaders in our survey.

One thing is for sure

There is definitely palpable enterprise excitement surrounding Windows 8. The new Metro interface gives users access to a range of new functionalities, including the ability to view and log information at the touch of a button. The benefits in support for ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) strategies are also undeniable. However the demand for clarity in terms of how enterprises should migrate to Windows 8 is what IT professionals need.

Our advice?

As XP redundancy looms we advise enterprises to focus on getting to Windows 7. It’s a platform that’s well supported by both hardware manufacturers and software application vendors and many enterprises having successfully completed the migration – and that’s good experience to call on. Once this step has been taken then CIO’s may be able to adopt a hybrid Windows 7 and Windows 8 environment if a mobile and tablet strategy environment is called for.

It was also interesting to note that 100% of our survey respondents agreed that critical apps were one of their biggest concerns in migrating to Windows 7. That’s why here at Camwood we recommend you leave it in the hands of the professionals. With proven best practice application migration methodologies, including  Enlightened Migration™ , we’re well versed in helping businesses  turn chaotic application portfolios into lean, agile estates that are easier to manage, quicker to migrate and cheaper to run. Helping to improve efficiency and streamline your business.