One of the many reasons that I'm skeptical of claims about Windows 10's allegedly accelerating pace of corporate migrations is Windows As A Service's messy maintenance problem, something which is nicely illustrated by this piece from Redmond Mag:
In theory, Microsoft's agile Windows 10 release process should work without a hitch, but theory may fall short in the real world of organizations. Microsoft admits that it only tests 250 critical business applications before its Windows 10 updates get released. While Microsoft is seeing 100 percent pass rates with this testing process, it's apparent that experience in the field has been different. Organizations see problems even with Microsoft applications after upgrades.
One reader of the article by das Neves commented that the use of servicing plans with SCCM isn't possible because it's not easy to use with multiple-language Windows 10 deployments.
Another reader expressed dismay in the rapid changes to the update process with Windows 10, including the "nonsensical word salad Semi Annual Channel Pilot and Broad," referring to Microsoft's older terminology.
An objection was raised about Microsoft's testing-rings recommendation. End users just want a computer to do their work and have no idea about Windows 10's various deployment phases. And the IT department is just too busy to test every Windows 10 release, it was argued.
Some organizations are stumbling over bandwidth issues associated with Windows 10 upgrades because of their network architectures. They're also getting Group Policy Object settings broken by Windows 10 upgrades.
Another reader, "TwittApic," noted that Windows 10 installations are slow, taking about two hours, which is downtime that users won't tolerate. In addition, users typically see value in application improvements, not in operating system feature additions, so the Windows 10 upgrades are of little value to them. Software applications sometimes become incompatible with Windows 10 upgrades, such as antivirus software, it was noted. (Kaspersky Lab recently dropped legal complaints over not having sufficient time to review Windows 10 upgrades, so possibly that situation will improve.)
In response, das Neves suggested that organizations seeing such software incompatibilities with Windows 10 upgrades could "involve your PFE/TAM" (Premier Field Engineer/Technical Account Manager). However, Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Susan Bradley, whose expertise is with small businesses, noted that not every organization has such access.With even Microsoft's own software not always working with new Windows 10 builds, problems with multiple-language Windows 10 deployments (unavoidable for any multi-national company, or for companies that source products from a globalized supply chain), problems with finicky builds that end users are apparently required to continue testing after deployment, bandwidth issues and downtime caused by frequent updates, update management tools that are broken by Windows updates, security issues caused by Microsoft's monopolistic bullshit approach to antivirus software, and the added cost of needing extra IT people to wrangle it all (something which simply isn't in the cards for any small business).... with all those issues, we're meant to believe that everyone's Windows 10 migrations are well underway, and picking up steam? Really?
I don't buy it. Microsoft's move to the Windows-As-A-Service distribution model has been, at the very least, messy; it hasn't proved itself to be sustainable, or really even possible (Paul Thurrott dubbed it Windows as a Disservice), and any company that migrates their whole organization to Windows 10 will be managing the mess for years to come. With Microsoft recently revealing that migration will also come with extra hardware costs, I can't imagine that any organization that hasn't already migrated will be chomping at the bit to replace perfectly good hardware and software with this messy work-in-progress product; it's a lot easier to imagine poll respondents failing to be completely accurate or honest with Adaptiva's pollsters about their Windows 10 migration plans and progress.
(Adaptiva, BTW, are the company that actually did the survey that IT Pro was reporting on earlier. You'll never guess what they do. Go ahead, guess. And then give yourself a no-prize for guessing that they do Windows 10 migrations, along with "fast and reliable content distribution for companies using Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager.")
We'll see when the month-end usage numbers come out, but I'm still not expecting to see any significant or accelerated movement towards Windows 10 by the market as a whole.