Windows XP Professional is a solid network client operating system that deserves consideration in any Windows 2000 or Windows 2003 Active Directory network. Windows XP Professional offers numerous benefits, including: - Less downtime than previous Windows client operating systems
- Nearly effortless mobile computing and remote connectivity
- Integrated technical support with Remote Assistance
- System Restore, which enables complete reversal of system changes and software installations
- Encrypting File System (EFS) to protect locally stored documents and files
- A more efficient and intuitive desktop, Start menu, and toolbar design that improves productivity and reduces the learning curve
- A wide range of networking features from connection options to resource sharing
As an IT professional or possibly an organization manager, you may ask "Why should I upgrade all my systems to Windows XP Professional?" The answer is to improve productivity, reduce support costs, and maximize the potential of your existing IT infrastructure. First and foremost, standardizing all desktop and mobile clients on a single OS, namely Windows XP Professional, greatly reduces the breadth of support required to maintain the IT environment. Furthermore, with a single client OS base, you can readily deploy upgrades, patches, and security policy changes by modifying a central configuration store (i.e., an Active Directory GPO attached to a domain or organizational unit containing client systems). It doesn't get much easier than that.
Windows XP Professional makes managing an enterprise's client base easier and more cost-effective than ever before. In numerous success stories, Windows XP Professional has shown itself to reduce IT costs and maximize investments in personnel. In financial terms, the return on investment (ROI) of a Windows XP Professional client base is approximately 200% annually within 13 months.
Most clients that currently support Windows 98, Windows NT, or Windows 2000 require minimal or no hardware upgrades to run Windows XP Professional. If a hardware upgrade is required, it's usually the addition of RAM. From a management or administrative perspective, Windows XP Professional offers numerous remote network management tools, supports automated network-based installation, and fully integrates into both Windows 2000 and Windows 2003 Active Directory domain environments.
This IT Guides focuses on the details you need to make the business decision to upgrade to Windows XP Professional. The sections of the guide include:
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