{"id":9193,"date":"2024-10-17T05:24:19","date_gmt":"2024-10-17T12:24:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/?p=9193"},"modified":"2024-10-28T14:33:21","modified_gmt":"2024-10-28T21:33:21","slug":"unpacking-microsofts-speedy-upgrade-to-windows-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/unpacking-microsofts-speedy-upgrade-to-windows-11\/","title":{"rendered":"Unpacking Microsoft\u2019s speedy upgrade to Windows 11"},"content":{"rendered":"

[Editor\u2019s note: This content was written to highlight a particular event or moment in time. Although that moment has passed, we\u2019re republishing it here so you can see what our thinking and experience was like at the time.]<\/em><\/p>\n

\"MicrosoftLike our customers, we at Microsoft have a strong business need to address the new challenges created by remote and hybrid work. The internal adoption of Windows 11 is helping our company meet those needs, while enabling our employees to work smarter and more securely, regardless of where they are.<\/p>\n

Moving Microsoft to Windows 11<\/strong>
\n\"Blog<\/p>\n
    \n
  1. Microsoft tries Windows 11 on for size and likes the fit<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Unpacking Microsoft\u2019s speedy upgrade to Windows 11<\/a> (this story)<\/li>\n
  3. Windows 11 boosts employee engagement at Microsoft<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Employees are at the heart of Microsoft\u2019s internal Windows 11 upgrade<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Five key learnings from Microsoft\u2019s Windows 11 upgrade<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

    Upgrading to Windows 11 at Microsoft<\/h2>\n

    Our priority in rolling out Windows 11 internally was to provide employees uninterrupted access to a safe and productive workspace while giving them a chance to try out the new operating system.<\/p>\n

    Introducing a new operating system, especially across a distributed workforce, naturally led to questions about device downtime and app compatibility. However, with established practices and evolved solutions in hand, historical obstacles became just that\u2014a thing of the past. The rollout of Windows 11 at Microsoft was our most streamlined to date, frictionlessly delivering employees the latest operating system in record time.<\/p>\n

    What made the deployment of Windows 11 a success?<\/p>\n

    Over the past decade, our Microsoft Digital Employee Experience team, the organization that powers, protects, and transforms employee experiences, has worked closely with teams such as the Windows product group to improve how it runs Microsoft\u2019s updates, upgrades, and deployments.<\/p>\n

    Whereas significant time and resources were once dedicated to testing app compatibility, building out multiple disk images, and managing a complex delivery method, processes and tools introduced during Windows 10 have streamlined upgrades and enabled the transformation to a frictionless experience.<\/p>\n

    Data from App Assure, a Microsoft service available to all customers with eligible subscriptions, shows the company had 99.7 percent compatibility for all apps in Windows 11\u2014that eliminated the need for extensive testing. It also meant that employees\u2019 Windows 10 apps work seamlessly in Windows 11. Additionally, Microsoft Endpoint Manager and Windows Update for Business eliminated the need for using more than one disk image and made it easier for employees to get Windows 11.<\/p>\n

    Our Microsoft Digital Employee Experience team relied on the same familiar tools and process as a Windows 10 feature update to quickly deliver the upgrade to employees.<\/p>\n

    The upgrade was divided into three parts:<\/p>\n

    Plan:<\/strong> Identify an execution and communication plan, then develop a timeline<\/p>\n

    Prepare:<\/strong> Establish reporting systems, run tests, ready employees, and build backend services<\/p>\n

    Deploy:<\/strong> Deploy Windows 11 to eligible devices<\/p>\n

    It all starts with a good plan<\/h2>\n

    We at Microsoft Digital Employee Experience have a successful history of deploying new services, apps, and operating systems to employees. And it all starts at the same place\u2014creating a disruption-free strategy that enables employees to embrace the latest technology as soon as possible without sacrificing productivity.<\/p>\n

    Assess the environment<\/h3>\n

    Before the deployment of Windows 11 could begin, we had to take a careful inventory of all devices at Microsoft and determine which they should target. Windows 11 has specific hardware requirements, and a percentage of employees running ineligible devices meant that not every device would be upgraded. Employees with these devices will upgrade to Windows 11 during their next device refresh.<\/p>\n

    To evaluate the device population, we used Update Compliance<\/a> and Microsoft Endpoint Manager\u2019s Endpoint analytics<\/a> feature. This allowed our team to generate reports on devices that either met or failed to comply with minimum specifications. For example, certain devices, especially older desktops, lacked the Trusted Platform Module 2.0 (TPM) chipset requirements for security in Windows 11.<\/p>\n

    In the end, 190,000 devices were deemed eligible based on hardware and role requirements. Over the course of five weeks, our Microsoft Digital Employee Experience team deployed Windows 11 to 99 percent of qualifying devices.<\/p>\n

    Address ineligible devices and exclusions<\/h3>\n

    After evaluating the broad population of devices, our team developed a plan for devices that would not receive a Windows 11 upgrade. Since Windows 10 and Windows 11 can be seamlessly managed side-by-side within the same management system, we only had to designate the number of devices that would not receive the upgrade. Using Update Compliance to inform deployment policies, we applied controls on ineligible devices, automatically skipping them during deployment. These measures made it easy to know why a device didn\u2019t upgrade, but also assured a disruption-free experience for both employees and those on our team responsible for managing the upgrade.<\/p>\n

    These controls also allowed the company to bypass deployment on any device that had been incorrectly targeted for an upgrade.<\/p>\n

    Ineligible devices<\/strong>. Windows 10 and Windows 11 can be managed side-by-side and will be supported concurrently at Microsoft until all devices are upgraded or retired. As devices are refreshed, more and more of our employees will gain access to Windows 11.<\/p>\n

    Devices that should not receive the upgrade<\/strong>. Other devices, like servers and test labs\u2014where we validate new products on previous operating systems\u2014were issued controls and excluded from receiving Windows 11.<\/p>\n

    Establish a deployment timeline<\/h3>\n

    Once upgradeable devices were identified, our team was able to create a clear timeline. From this schedule, our communications team developed an outreach plan, support teams readied the helpdesk, and the deployment team developed critical reporting mechanisms to track progress.<\/p>\n

    For the deployment itself, our team used a ring-based approach to segment the deployment into several waves. This allowed us to gradually release Windows 11 across the company, reducing the risk of disruption.<\/p>\n

    \"Graphic
    Microsoft\u2019s internal upgrade to Windows 11 hinged on effective end-to-end communication.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Create a rollback plan<\/h3>\n

    Windows 11 has built-in support for rolling back to Windows 10 with a default window of 10 days after installation. If needed, our Microsoft Digital Employee Experience team could have revised this period via group policy or script using Microsoft Intune<\/a>. Post-upgrade, there wasn\u2019t much demand for a rollback, but the strategic release cadence that the team used, paired with the rollback capability, gave our team an easy way to quickly revert devices that might require going back to Windows 10 for a business need.<\/p>\n

    Preparing for success<\/h2>\n

    Prior to starting the Windows 11 upgrade, we asked employees to complete pre-work needed for a successful upgrade. Because the upgrade was so smooth, only light readiness communications were needed. Instead, we focused on ensuring that employees were aware and excited about the benefits of Windows 11 and that they were ready to share their feedback on what it was like to use it.<\/p>\n

    Reach everyone<\/h3>\n

    To maximize the impact of our communications, our team readied content that was digestible for every employee<\/a>, regardless of role. Employees needed clear and concise messaging that would resonate, so that they could understand what Windows 11 would mean for them.<\/p>\n

    Our team in Microsoft Digital Employee Experience targeted a variety of established channels, including Yammer, FAQs on Microsoft SharePoint, email, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft\u2019s internal homepage, and digital signage to promote Windows 11.<\/p>\n

    To generate interest, our materials focused on:<\/p>\n