Stephen Kleynhans, Gartner Research

Intel Corporation (INTC) - Stephen Kleynhans at Gartner Research

If the computer is ever recovered, the process of reactivating has been simplified, he added Another security related feature is Intel's Keyboard Video Mouse Remote Control (KVM Remote Control), which is available with dual core Intel Core i5 and i7 vPro processors This feature will allow IT administrators to get a full view of a users' machine while they remotely troubleshoot a problem, said Brian Tucker, director of marketing for Intel's business client platform The vPro platform will also allow IT managers to access a users' hard drive whether the PC is on or off Stephen Kleynhans, a Toronto area research analyst covering end user computing environments for Gartner Inc, said Intel's upgrade is taking vPro in the right direction — one in which Kleynhans himself has pushed the company to move toward 

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) - Stephen Kleynhans at Gartner Research

Gartner added that Windows 7 release will generate renewed interest in hardware upgrades in consumers and small businesses following its release, but corporate demand is not expected to gain momentum until the end of 2010. Gartner, Inc has highlighted five key issues enterprises should examine as Windows 7 hits the market: 1. Plan to be Off Windows XP by Year End 2012 — Microsoft will support Windows XP with security fixes into April of 2014, but past experience has shown that independent software vendors (ISVs) will stop testing much earlier. "New releases of critical business software will require Windows 7 long before Microsoft support for Windows XP ends," said Steve Kleynhans, research vice president at Gartner. "Organizations that get all of their users off Windows XP by the end of 2012 will avoid significant potential problems." 2. Start Working on Migration Projects Now — The typical organization requires 12 to 18 months waiting, testing, and planning before it can start deploying a new client OS. There is a lot of work to be done in preparation, and delays in getting started will only result in added costs later. 

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) - Stephen Kleynhans at Gartner Research

Microsoft has long been less than thrilled with the way Best Buy, Wal Mart, Fry's and other retail chains, not to mention Amazon and other Internet retailers, have hawked Windows. "They've felt the retailers and PC makers weren't effective enough at explaining the benefits of Windows, and how all the various parts of the Windows ecosystem worked together," says Matt Rosoff, Direction on Microsoft's research VP for consumer products and services. "This, along with the retail stores, represent the company's latest attempt to redress that problem." . Microsoft has come to the realization that consumers "don't buy Windows, they buy a PC that happens to drag along a copy of Windows," says Gartner analyst Steve Kleynhans.  

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) - Stephen Kleynhans at Gartner Research

"An overdue PC hardware upgrade cycle, and the economic environment, will be as equally important as Windows 7 in determining final demand in 2010." Five issues that enterprises should examine before they move to Windows 7 include: Plan to be off Windows XP by 2012 end — Microsoft will support Windows XP with security fixes into April of 2014, but past experience has shown that independent software vendors (ISVs) will stop testing much earlier. "New releases of critical business software will require Windows 7 long before Microsoft support for Windows XP ends," said Steve Kleynhans, research vice president at Gartner. "Organisations that get their users off Windows XP by the end of 2012 will avoid significant potential problems," Start working on migration projects now — The typical organisation requires 12 to 18 months waiting, testing and planning before it can start deploying a new client OS. There is a lot of work to be done in preparation, and delays in getting started will only result in added costs later. 

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) - Stephen Kleynhans at Gartner Research

"It adds other features of interest to organisations, as well as to consumers. It is important for Microsoft to get off to a good start with Windows 7 to build momentum and put the problems of Vista behind it. Fittingly, the five actions that Gartner believes companies should take before moving to Windows 7 include not skipping Windows 7. Organisations should also plan to be off Windows XP by the end of 2012. "New releases of critical business software will require Windows 7 long before Microsoft support for Windows XP ends," said Steve Kleynhans, research vice president at Gartner. "Organisations that get all of their users off Windows XP by the end of 2012 will avoid significant potential problems." 

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) - Stephen Kleynhans at Gartner Research

Gartner has a history of saying things and giving advice on Windows that Microsoft would rather it didn't. And if Microsoft's silence on this is anything like the painful silence on when Windows 7 would ship, then there's a very good chance that what Silver is saying is accurate. The only odd thing is the timing. Just last month, Silver and fellow Stephen Kleynhans reportedly advised organizations to skip Windows Vista and jump straight to Windows 7 from Windows XP. Have things changed substantially in the space of a short time, had Silver and Gartner not been briefed on the upgrade and downgrade rights at the last time of writing, or had they not read the fine print?  

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) - Stephen Kleynhans at Gartner Research

Microsoft delivered Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) to the public on , but made it available to developers and IT professionals several days earlier. Veghte's advice to abandon Vista didn't come as a surprise to Michael Silver, a Gartner analyst who tracks Microsoft. Silver and Gartner colleague Stephen Kleynhans said the same thing in a research note released on Wednesday. "If they haven't started, certainly they should move right to Windows 7," said Silver today. 

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) - Stephen Kleynhans at Gartner Research

Nevertheless, selling more products is what's needed to regain a healthy balance sheet, and on that level, Shanghai is a major first step. "Shanghai is critically important for AMD, because it's the product that keeps them competitive," Steve Kleynhans, analyst for Gartner, told InformationWeek. Kleynhans believes the new product is likely to help AMD maintain its position in the high-end server market. 

Citrix Systems, Inc. (CTXS) - Stephen Kleynhans at Gartner Research

The 200 staffers who have signed up since the pilot program began in September say it's a deal they're happy to take. Carolyn VanVurst, a Citrix information technology specialist, said she loved the idea of having a single laptop for both personal and business use, since she's on the computer so much. "It was easier for me to have my life on one device instead of separated," she said. It appears Citrix is the first large company to take such a leap, at least publicly. Steve Kleynhans, an analyst at Gartner, said other technology companies have started similar pilot programs but are doing so under the radar.  

Citrix Systems, Inc. (CTXS) - Stephen Kleynhans at Gartner Research

The 200 staffers who have signed up since the pilot program began this month say it's a deal they're happy to take," Madkour reports. "It appears Citrix is the first large company to take such a leap, at least publicly. Steve Kleynhans, an analyst at Gartner Inc (IT), said other technology companies have started similar pilot programs but are doing so under the radar," Madkour reports. "For Citrix, the program is a way of promoting its 'virtualization' technology, which among other things lets companies run software programs they need - like SAP for time sheets and Microsoft Exchange for e-mail - in a central data center. Employees access the applications by logging in remotely, but the programs and potentially confidential information in them are never downloaded to the workers' own laptops," Madkour reports.