14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is still rolling out Windows 11 to eligible devices out there, but just like any big company, it has also started the process of upgrading its own fleet of computers to the new operating system.
And more importantly, it managed to complete the process in no less than five weeks, with Microsoft explaining that when this massive effort was over, no less than 190,000 devices were running Windows 11.
“Introducing a new operating system, especially across a distributed workforce, naturally led to questions about device downtime and app compatibility. However, with established practices and evolved solutions in hand, historical obstacles became just that—a thing of the past. The rollout of Windows 11 at Microsoft was the most streamlined to date, frictionlessly delivering employees the latest operating system in record time,” Microsoft explains.
No app compatibility concerns
The app compatibility was obviously a main concern, but Microsoft says it relied on App Assure to make sure no such problems occur after the switch to Windows 11.
“Data from App Assure, a Microsoft service available to all customers with eligible subscriptions, shows the company had 99.7 percent compatibility for all apps in Windows 11—that eliminated the need for extensive testing. It also meant that employees’ Windows 10 apps work seamlessly in Windows 11. Additionally, Microsoft Endpoint Manager and Windows Update for Business eliminated the need for using more than one disk image and made it easier for employees to get Windows 11,” it says.
The process was divided into three different plans to plan, prepare, and deploy the new operating system.
Microsoft recommends customers to also create a rollback plan, just in case something doesn’t work exactly as planned or there’s another reason to go back to Windows 10. Windows 11 allows users to roll back in the first 10 days after the switch to the operating system, after which the downgrade files are automatically removed.