Microsoft's partner ecosystem can look forward to strong growth thanks to the launch of Windows 7, according the market watcher IDC.

In research to coincide with the software giant’s Worldwide Partner Conference, taking place this week in New Orleans, IDC has predicted that for every €1 spent on Windows 7 in the UK, partners will reap €19.82 in additional services and products.

Globally IDC predicts a brisk uptake for Windows 7, forecasting that shipments between the October launch and the end of 2010 will reach 177 million units.

The analyst has predicted global employment will grow by more than 300,000 new jobs, or more than 30 per cent of total growth in global IT employment in 2010, solely because of the launch of Windows 7.

The report said: “In the midst of an economic crisis, with most governments seeking economic stimulus to grow their economies, the launch of a major new operating system should be considered good news – a stimulus package in its own right.”