Windows are now allowing another opportunity to take up their free Windows 10 upgrades.
Another Chance
Microsoft previous offered a Windows 10 upgrade for free to all its customers as a change to a new ‘as-a-service’ subscription based model. This had ended last August (2016). At the time, users complained about the agressive upgrade tactics, a lack of clarity about the upgrade and the upgrade process.
The new free upgrade is limited to personal computers running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 and is limited to businesses (SMBs) that have signed up for Windows 10 Enterprise E3, E5, and Secure Productive E3 and E5 Enterprise subscription plans.
Windows 10 Enterprise E3 or E5 subscriptions delivered through a CSP program by Microsoft resellers require customers to already be running Windows 10 Pro.
However, some customers may have already acquired Windows 10 / Windows 10 Pro outside of the offer by simply purchasing new equipment with it already installed.
Why another chance?
Microsoft have seen another upswing in requests for upgrades, and announcements of end of life support for some of its software, as well as pushing its Office 365 accounts.
Whereas business customers who missed out on the previous upgrade opportunity would have needed to buy a 10 Pro license (because the offer was Windows 10 Pro based), this new upgrade opportunity is essentially giving them the license for free, which is something that would normally cost a few hundred pounds.
What Does This Mean For Your Business?
Microsoft is clearly committed to the ‘as-a-service’ model with its current Windows 10 and future operating system versions. Moving forward with Microsoft therefore means that getting Windows 10 is inevitable, so this re-introduction of an old offer could be viewed as a chance to get something for free that you may probably have been intending to get anyway at some point in the near future.
It is of course still likely that some problems will occur when the automatic updates happen, as has already been the case on several occasions, but if you haven’t already upgraded, now may be a good time to consider the many benefits that Windows 10 offers.
You may also wish to get more advice about how Windows 10 could work for you.
