Blog: Can upgrading to Windows 8 boost productivity?

Upgrading to Windows 8 can help businesses boost productivity and increase output, it has been suggested.

Here's the scenario - your business has long been a Microsoft customer, using the firm's software solutions and operating systems on all its PCs.

Windows 8 has arrived, you've heard good things about it, and you're keen to equip your workers with as many productivity features and online tools as possible.

But that said, Windows 7 has been a trusty servant - employees like the operating system and the IT function as a whole is continuing to deliver a handy return on investment.

So the question is, do you stick or twist?

Every business leader is entitled to make their own decision - there are always going to be a range of push-and-pull factors which need to be taken into account.

But when weighing up the merits of an upgrade, firms need to consider whether they are missing out on productivity by remaining with legacy solutions. In some instances, an upgrade offers the potential to increase ROI.

The changes made to Windows with the latest operating system give business users more options, particularly those who are mobilising their workforces using tablets and other smart devices.

Windows 8 is more intuitive than the previous version, meaning users can find what they need faster and easier, and the new app model offers the opportunity to create your own line-of-business apps to help improve productivity.

Offering greater speed, reliability, security and other essentials that are important to IT administrators, the new operating system might just help raise output and have a positive impact on the bottom line.

It is certainly worth trying out, even if initially on just a few PCs or mobile devices as a pilot, ahead of a full deployment.

Posted by Alex Boardman