Vic Education preps Win7 roll-out
The Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has begun creating an operating system image to start the roll-out of Windows 7 to laptop PCs within the next six months.
A department spokesperson told ZDNet.com.au it was developing the image to be released in the "first half" of 2010. It's not clear whether the image would include a roll-out of Windows 7 to desktop PCs or to what extent the roll-out will touch staff machines versus student PCs. The department's fleet comprises over 230,000 computers including netbooks, notebooks, laptops and desktops.
At present, the department's laptops have Microsoft Vista installed, the spokesperson said. This included the 10,000 netbooks it began trialling in February of last year.
The news comes to light as the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) recently completed its migration to Windows 7 from Windows XP and 2000.The Federal Government broadcasting regulator completed the migration of 750 desktop computers. The licensing, migration and integration work for the Windows 7 and Office 2007 upgrade was provided by Data#3 with the assistance of the ACMA's incumbent outsourced IT support provider, Logica.
The Victorian move follows similar initiatives in education departments in NSW and Queensland, which have also flagged planned migrations to Windows 7.