I came across Mary-Jo Foley’s post “Windows 7 compatibility problems? Microsoft might have an app (or service) for that” on the All About Microsoft blog and thought I’d offer my $0.02.
Based on my experiences in the field, including a successful Windows 7 Rapid Deployment Program, I have to say the compatibility story for Windows 7 is surprisingly positive. First of all the number of applications experiencing compatibility issues has been very low so far, and for those that have had issues the solutions have been quick and easy.
In addition to the programs that Mary-Jo mentioned there is another that is specifically geared to application compatibility remediation: Microsoft’s Application Compatiblity Factory (ACF) Program. This program, provided using Microsoft Partners, focuses on using the Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.5 to quickly assess and remediate compatibility issues across the enterprise. It’s a great way to put a box around the scope and scale of potential effort required for an organization’s Windows 7 migration.
Here are some additional links to ACF materials:
Out of all the programs mentioned, ACF is the most targeted at compatibility remediation. Talk to your Microsoft representative to find a local partner that can provide the service. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised (and relieved) to find out the reality of your compatibility issues instead of worrying about what you think you might encounter when migrating to Windows 7.
