Windows 7 predicted to do well in business market

A survey suggests that half of companies will adopt Windows 7 within a year

Microsoft's Windows 7 could see a warm reception from businesses in the coming months, according to recent survey.

Research firm ITIC said that 49 per cent of businesses surveyed plan to adopt Windows 7 in the coming year, and another 11 per cent expect to update with the release of the first service pack.

The survey also found that 80 per cent of respondents who had used pre-release versions of Windows 7 rated it as 'very good' or 'excellent', while only two per cent rated it as 'poor'.

Respondents who had yet to plan an upgrade to Windows 7 said that the two most common reasons are 'waiting for compatibility issues to be worked out', and a 'lack of interest or satisfaction with their current operating system'.

The report is the latest indication that Windows 7 will receive a far warmer reception than its predecessor, Windows Vista. Early reviews have been favourable, and pre-release sales were very strong.

However, ITIC principal analyst Laura DiDio warned that the success of Windows 7 is far from assured, and that the early months of availability will be crucial for Microsoft.

"It will be incumbent on Microsoft to respond in a forthright, timely and efficient manner to any technical issues that arise during the first wave of user deployments," she said.

"As Microsoft knows only too well from its Vista experience, it will not get a second chance to make a good first impression."