So, this is the scenario – A company out there has started an RFP process around Digital Transformation. A number of parties have responded, but a shockingly low number have not mentioned Windows as a Service (WaaS) or Windows Insider for Business (WIP4Biz). Many still look to do the SOE Image with little to zero thought around how to service the Image going forward, as well as a continual improvement process leveraging Windows Insider for Business.

Essentially, let’s just keep doing what we did with Windows XP, 7, 8.1 and apply it to Windows 10, collect the cheque and get outta dodge. Meanwhile, the organisation with their shiny new Windows 10, is now left to flounder with many taking the decision to sit on the deployed version of Windows 10 for as long as possible up to the end of support.

This seems like a good time also to make this plea to Microsoft… PLEASE STOP EXTENDING OLD VERSIONS OF WINDOWS 10 SUPPORT!! You’re only encouraging this behaviour.

Some organisations may not want to go full modern workplace, but discussion around co-management, as well as WaaS factoring in continual improvement with WIP4Biz/Office Insider (M365 Insider is coming – signup for more info here) should always be something detailed in a RFP

This is not 2008, Windows 7 and 8.1 are now on the endangered species list.

Microsoft do need to take the lead here – many of these service providers are Microsoft partners. Do the Service Providers know about WaaS and WIP4Biz? Do they know why it’s important? The How and What are well detailed and easy to convey… It’s the WHY! The service providers not only need to factor WaaS and WIP4Biz into their RFP responses, they should also be including the WHY!

Microsoft Inspire is the conference for Microsoft partners. Microsoft… Please, please consider addressing this by the time that conference happens in 2019.   Key sessions on the program, AND the WHY.   Explain it to the Service Providers, and you can recycle the same slides again at Microsoft Ignite 2019 for the IT Pros when they need to be armed with the Why and What’s in it for me/us? when convincing management.

If you’re involved with scoring RFPs for your Windows 10 project, and WaaS/WIP4Biz is missing, please, please ask for the reason why it was excluded. Maybe these providers are not the right ones for you.

I’m planning a series of blog posts in the coming weeks that will follow my journey with WIP4Biz. Hopefully as I go along, I can help with that “How to convince my boss” question, which, more importantly, leads to the “Why?” and “What’s in it for me?” for both the organisation and the people who will be using WaaS and WIP4BIZ

P.