HP preps channel for Windows 10 migration

Vendor to ship existing commercial offering with option of Windows 10 pre-installed from mid-August

With the Windows 10 launch just around the corner, HP is offering training, marketing support and incentives for the channel to speed migration to the new operating system.

Beginning in mid-August, HP's existing commercial offerings will ship with the option of Windows 10 pre-installed, the vendor announced today.

This is a couple of weeks after the 29 July launch date for the new OS.

HP has pledged to aid partners' migration efforts by offering them education, training and competency branding. It has also promised additional marketing funds, co-branded marketing assets and partner incentives such as new business opportunity boosters.

"HP's 2015 commercial portfolio was designed with Windows 10 in mind, which is important to enterprise customers who build their own corporate image to install on devices," the vendor said.

"For customers planning to re-image devices to the new operating system, HP has made this process as seamless as possible. Beginning in mid-August into October, the company's existing commercial offerings will ship with the option of Windows 10 pre-installed."

Craig Dewar, senior director of Windows commercial marketing, told delegates at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference in Orlando yesterday that customers ditched XP because they were made to, but will upgrade to Windows 10 because they want to.

Upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10 would be much easier for customers than moving from XP to Windows 7, Dewar claimed.

Still, HP said it understood why some customers may still need to be coaxed into using Windows 10.

"Migrating to a new OS can be a daunting prospect – particularly for businesses – [which is] a reason why nearly three quarters of desktop users have a version of Windows that is at least six years old," it said.