Businesses to get hands on Windows 7 in September

Day 1 of Microsoft's partner conference the software giant announced businesses will get access to Windows 7 earlier.

The company said business customers will be able to get Windows 7 ahead of its 22 October retail launch, though they won't be able to get it immediately after the code is finalised. Microsoft said businesses will be able to order Windows 7 from volume licensing partners as of 1 September.

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Microsoft also said it will have a limited-time, six-month promotion whereby businesses can get the Windows 7 Professional upgrade at a price discounted 15 per cent or more from what Microsoft was charging for Vista upgrades.

The news comes as Microsoft prepares to finalise the operating system later this month.

However, a recent survey suggests that although many businesses have yet to move to Vista, they may not jump to Windows 7 either. In a survey with more than 1,000 IT administrators sharing their plans, Quest Software's ScriptLogic found that nearly six in 10 have no current plans to move to Windows 7.

Original article: Businesses can get Windows 7 in September from CNET News.com