Almost a year ago, Microsoft introduced FastTrack for Office 365, a program that's meant to help business customers upgrade to the subscription productivity suite. Today, the company is expanding that to Windows 10 and Dynamics 365, offering previews of each beginning today.
Microsoft says that FastTrack for Windows 10 will provide one-stop access for a collection of "tools, resources, and guidance needed for a successful roll-out of the most secure version of Windows ever." That collection is available through the FastTrack website, which "helps customers plan and address each phase of the adoption lifecycle".
There are three phases: envision, onboard, and drive value. 'Envision' is the planning process, where customers will be able to conduct a deployment assessment and explore various options. In the 'onboard' phase, users can request a 'qualified partner', which can help to build a "success plan for Windows 10", and will also recommend Office 365 ProPlus. Finally, 'drive value' will assist businesses in getting the most out of the OS.
The firm also highlighted the Microsoft Ready for Windows directory and the Windows Upgrade Analytics Service. These solutions are to help in making sure that existing software, hardware, drivers, and more are compatible with the upgraded OS. For example, businesses tend to use a lot of legacy applications, so Microsoft will have a directory of applications based on other customers' experiences to show compatibility.
Microsoft says that FastTrack for Windows 10 services will be offered through 'qualified partners', and not the FastTrack Center, which is how the Office 365 solution is delivered.
As mentioned previously, FastTrack for Dynamics 365 is also available. It's a similar service to the one offered for Windows 10, where customers will "receive guidance on best practices and how to plan for successful rollouts." The engineering team will also offer technical talks and workshops to give "practical guidance on cloud deployment, help with usage and adoption, and assistance in removing blockers during implementation".
Finally, there are some updates to FastTrack for Office 365 and EMS. One major improvement is support for Microsoft Teams, which was revealed back in November. There are also new tools for onboarding and migration scenarios that are compliant with the ISO27001 security standard.
After the free upgrade offer for Windows 10 ended for consumers over the summer, Microsoft is now focusing on businesses to boost Windows 10 adoption. Last week, the company announced that businesses with Windows 10 Enterprise subscriptions will be able to upgrade from Windows 7 and 8.1 at no additional cost. On the same day, the firm announced availability of the Anniversary Update to Volume Licensing customers, effectively ending support for the original version of Windows 10.
Source: Windows Blog | Office Blog | Dynamics 365 Blog | Partner Network Blog
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