Microsoft plans to retire its Windows 10, Version 1507 by 26th March 2017

Microsoft is ready to stop the support of Windows 10 edition from March 26, 2017.Nathan Mercer, the senior product manager for the company, has said that after March 2017, all their operations and relevant departments will not continue to service their adjacent versions of Windows 10 or version 1507 (Keizer 1). Version 1507 was released in July 2015 as the original Windows 10.It abided with a year-month mark that Microsoft assigned to Windows 10. In November 2016 when the company promoted version 1607 to Current Branch for a Business track that it was to end the updates including the security patches for version 1507 by March 2017. Though version 1507 will continue to be in place and to work, it will not get any updates after March 26.

Microsoft is now pledging to support just two builds of Current Branch for Business at the same time. This means that the release of N+2 and N will take 60 days and at the end of these days, N will be dropped off the support list, and N+1 will then change to N while N+2 changes to N+1.In the update of version 1607 last year, N was equal to version 1507 while N+1 equaled 1511.In 2015 N+2 represented 1607( Keizer 1).This interpreted to the fact that version 1507 would be shuttered from January 1607 availability in the Current Branch in Business.

On January 19, 2017, Microsoft launched a refreshed version 1607 through Windows Server Update Services and Windows Update for the Business.  In principle, there are two commonest modes of businesses to access the upgrades. On 26th Jan 2017 these builds will be released to the Volume Licensing Service Centre in which customers would be in a position to download the 1607 version disk images (Keizer 1). Microsoft has been using Volume Licensing Service Centre date of availability as a trigger for the sixty days a countdown. However, some enterprises are still running version 1607 but can track the Windows 10 version including the last updates for each version on the Microsoft website.

                                          Reasons for this upgrade

The major aim of upgrading Windows 10 is aimed at improving its features and increases its viability (Mingis 3). Windows 10 is not able to upgrade old versions of Windows such as Windows 2000 or Windows 2001.There is increased the cost of PC with regards to Windows 10 and Microsoft endeavors to reduce this cost b y providing better software. There is also no Windows media’s player updates, and it is similar to the earlier version. Some of the touch-friendly features had been removed from Windows 10 (Dalton 26).It is impossible to close the apps by just swiping this app down from up to bottom.  Many users of tablets have been finding difficulty in using touch control. It may not be practical to resize the windows using the handle bars that are present in the previous versions of the window. Therefore, these updates that Microsoft is planning to introduce in this year are meant to improve on this.

The grabbing edges of the Windows after also difficult if one is using a pen. Windows 10 also removed the functionality of changing the volume level using scroll button that is present on the taskbar. If one want to change PC to OS, it can’t be easy on Windows 10 (Dalton 26).The previous OS had to be reinstalled from the installation disk, a DVD that originated with the PC. Installing Technical Preview in Windows 10 would also disable the ability of PC to play a DVD, and with the expected changes on Windows 10 from March 2017, things are to improve (Bott 23).

                                       How the updates will be adopted

Version 1607 will be supported throughout 2017 minimally and may be up to 2018 depending on the time the version will be released. If the release is in the fall or the spring of 2017, then the support would be up to the early spring or winter of 2018.2017 and early 2018 will be the phase of migration for businesses with the aim of making Version 1607 the version of all people and enterprises. Nevertheless, version 1607 will not be the only one to be adopted by companies as they migrate (Cardoso and Alessandro 78). Businesses must start with one version and then finish with another since the support lifecycle of a certain edition for instance 1607 is shorter than the average start and finishing migration. VMware has shown from recent research that it takes about 18 months for a full Windows migration and many are expecting Windows 10 to take the same duration for upgrades. This may mean that if an enterprise begins its deployment of version 1607 in 2017, it will not finish with it since it would end up wrapping up around the end months of 2018 when 1607 version 1607 has dropped off the list of support.

                                       Challenges to these upgrades

How this will work is not clear as Information Technology has not been made to upgrade those machines that are already on the newest OS. Similarly, IT has migrated some PCs from an older version (Cardoso and Alessandro 78). The recent upgrade cycle was Windows where SP1 was the main service park and is still being supported. By default, enterprises started and completed their migration from XP to Windows 7 with the SP1.Windows Vista that gained little attraction in the sector had service parks in and received support for about three years from 2008 to 2011.This was adequate time for the company if it wanted to complete deployment fully. Therefore, there is a need for adequate preparation by the IT of the company to ensure that all fine details that may pose a threat to these new updates on Windows 10 are countered early before deployment ( Mingis 3).

                                                                       Conclusion

The decision by Microsoft to retire servicing Microsoft 10 by March 26, 2017, shows that the company is dedicated to improving its products. Microsoft timing and lifecycle of support on its software demonstrate its desire to serve their customers with quality products. Though some of the advantages that have been enjoyed in Windows 10 may disappear, the new version 1607 brings better solutions to enterprises. These regular updates on Windows 10 according to Microsoft are aimed at refreshing its operating system. They would, therefore, serve businesses, individual and enterprises better as they are aligned to increased demand for strong in-built of the software.

Work cited

Bott, Ed. Introducing Windows 10 for IT Professionals. Microsoft Press, 2016.

Gregg, Keizer. Microsoft to retire original Windows 10 on March 26: Version 1507 -- the debut release of July 2015 -- falls off the patching list in two months ComputerWorld.Jan 20 2017.

Cardoso, Edvaldo Alessandro. Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Cookbook : Over 60 Recipes For The Administration And Management Of Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 SP1. Birmingham [Eng.]: Packt Publishing, 2013. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 23 Jan. 2017.

Dalton, Andrew. Microsoft revamps pushy Windows 10 upgrade process. Engadget  Date: 06/28/2016

Mingis, Ken. Microsoft Preps for Windows 10 Upgrade Push. Computerworld Digital Magazine Date: 01/01/2016 Volume: 2 Issue: 6 Page: 3