Check out the business benefits of Windows 8.1 and take steps now to begin your deployment

Beginning Thursday, Windows 8.1 is available to all commercial customers and partners. As Microsoft has shared before, Windows 8.1 represents a significant milestone for our business customers. It builds on our vision to offer businesses the most powerful and flexible modern operating system across devices, helps customers enable their mobile users wherever they are working, and combines that flexibility with the manageability and security IT Pros demand.

With advancements in user experience, manageability, security, mobility and networking, Windows 8.1 is designed to help organizations drive their business forward with increased productivity, whether it be through connected mobile scenarios or by streamlining processes.

As Erwin Visser, general manager, Windows Commercial, notes in the Windows for Your Business blog, companies are already taking advantage of Windows 8.1 Enterprise to transform their business operations and empower increasingly mobile workforces – examples include UnitedHealth Group, Boeing and Campari Australia.

With the final release of Windows 8.1 now available, businesses can complete their planning and testing of the operating system and start deploying. If you haven’t yet started your testing process, these deployment tools are a great resource to test Windows 8.1 Enterprise for compatibility with existing applications and IT infrastructure. For companies using specialized industry devices like point-of-service terminals, digital signs or kiosks, Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry extends the power of Windows 8.1 technologies to these devices. The Windows Embedded team has shared more detail on evaluation, device management and deployment tools on their blog as well.

One other item that cannot be emphasized enough: Businesses still using Windows XP need to move to a more modern operating system – whether it is Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 – before the end of support occurs on April 8, 2014. For businesses currently running Windows 7, Microsoft encourages you to evaluate Windows 8.1 for all your mobile scenarios, as well as new touch devices and existing mouse and keyboard options. Download an evaluation edition of Windows 8.1 Enterprise today to begin your rollout planning.

To read Visser’s full post, head on over to Windows for Your Business.

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Steve Clarke
Microsoft News Center Staff

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