The death of Windows 7 is a huge opportunity, they say

Jan 15, 2020 10:20 GMT  ·  By

Windows 7 has officially reached the end of support, so users running it have three options to choose from: stick with Windows 7 and face the obvious security risks, upgrade to newer Windows, or migrate to a non-Windows platform.

As far as the last option goes, Linux distro makers know how big this opportunity really is, so they started poaching Windows 7 users in an attempt to increase their install base.

After Canonical tried to lure Windows 7 users to install Ubuntu, a number of Korean companies developing their own custom Linux distros have launched similar campaigns specifically supposed to convince Microsoft customers to make the switch.

Tmax, which builds TmaxOS, Hancom, the maker of Gurem, and Invesume, the developing company of open-source OS HamoniKR, are all aiming to convert Windows users to their own platforms.

Increased security and no license fees

In most of the cases, they use pretty much the same cards to prove the transition to Linux is worth the effort, so they praise the security that customers can get, as well as the reduced costs powered by the lack of a paid license.

The push to convince users to make the jump to Linux doesn’t come down just to consumers. Some of these companies have already signed partnerships with high-profile local customers which previously used Windows.

Tmax, for example, installed TMaxOS on the computers operated by the Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement and Korea Post, while Gureum OS is now running on devices belonging to several government agencies, such as the Korea Institute of Marine Science and Technology Promotion, Korea Post, the Republic of Korea Naval Academy and the Korean National Police Agency. According to The Korea Times, HamoniKR powers university computers and machines used by the Ministry of National Defense.

“We are witnessing that the number of downloads of the OS slightly increased after Microsoft ended technical support for Windows 7,” an Invesume official has been quoted as saying. “For customer companies who are seeking to convert their PC OS from Windows 7 to TmaxOS, they can save up to 50 percent of the total cost of ownership,” a Tmax official added.

Whether or not these efforts would prove successful still remains to be seen, but for now, it’s pretty clear that the demise of Windows 7 is a big opportunity for everyone in the OS world to attract more users. However, a mass migration is still unlikely, mostly because a substantial number of Windows users would rather stick with Windows to retain the familiar factor of the OS.