Corporate UK wakes up to NT and W95

Within the next 12 months 76 per cent of UK businesses will have implemented Windows 95 or Windows NT as a primary desktop and network operating system, according to the latest survey from AST.

The company asked 200 IT managers for their opinions on a number of key issues, ranging from security over the Internet to the lifetime costs of computer ownership.

The report said: 'Compared with last year, the uptake of NT has been substantial, from 17 per cent of UK corporations to 38 per cent this year.'

One in four respondents said they felt Windows 95 was a useful stepping stone to full NT implementation.

Only three per cent have implemented a full migration across their networks.

The Internet appears to have been greeted warmly by corporates. Twelve months ago, 44 per cent of UK companies were using the Internet, but in the 1996 report around two-thirds of respondents said they were using it.

A wider spectrum of employees now has access to the Internet - a year ago it was primarily those with decision-making roles who had access to the Web.

Of the IT managers surveyed for the report, 96 per cent were responsible for evaluating IT equipment for the company they work for. Some 62 per cent were in direct control of the IT budget.