Microsoft does the softsell on Windows 7 to enterprises

Microsoft Corp. today touted the experience of enterprises that have already started to deploy its coming operating system, Windows 7.

The software maker also released a study it commissioned to Forrester Consulting, an arm of analyst firm Forrester Research Inc., that looks at the coming needs of large enterprises -- needs that Microsoft believes Windows 7's new features can address.

The software maker also talked up two closely related products that it hopes will lure enterprises to move to Windows 7 sooner as well as ease their migration pain.

Windows 7 was made available to Microsoft's 51 million enterprise licensing customers at the beginning of this month. While there are few realistic alternatives to Windows in the minds of most large enterprises, Microsoft is still keen on getting them to upgrade to Windows 7 -- and Windows Server 2008 R2 -- as soon as possible, to minimize the number that fall off the lucrative enterprise agreement/Software Assurance track, and upsell them on new optional features.

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