Following the CrowdStrike incident in July 2024 around 850 million Windows computers were affected, causing global disruption that caused chaos for travellers, banks, hospitals and hotels. Nigel Milligan discusses the implications of remaining with the ‘status quo’
This incident has highlighted how the reliance on the use of Windows as the dominant operating system is seriously flawed and all it takes is the incompetence of a third-party provider to cause serious problems. The many systems that were running Windows – which ended up locking users out – could have been avoided by doing things differently.
Industry experts still insist that the infrastructure and servers that host and manage these systems should be Windows based. There are many that just require a web browser to access services without the need for specific Windows Software. However, large companies who have invested huge budgets with IT Companies are now tied into this way of working and it would take many years of redevelopment and change.
The main reason for writing about this issue is due to the many rude comments made to a post about this on social media. The worst and most arrogant and condescending comment stated that the use of ‘unconventional systems’ such as Google Workspace and Chrome OS goes against the status quo and overtime users will see that the use of ‘conventional’ systems is what people are more comfortable with.
This 100% shows the issue I have written about many times. Schools in particular, who remain with the conventional approach, fall into the category of ‘doing what they’ve always done’ and don’t adapt to the wider world of apps and device use that is available.
It is vital for schools to remain visionary in their approach to the whole school IT plan. To date, the many schools I work with are now using a variety of systems and devices. Yes, Windows does still play a part but is only a very small percentage from what it was.
The argument that Windows is the key operating system in the wider world of business and commerce doesn’t apply any longer. Apple Mac & iPad can be seen everywhere. The iPad has become a common sight in many organisations. Google Workspace and Chromebooks have also massively disrupted business use with many large organisations moving away from on premise servers to web-based applications.
There will always be people in the world who do not wish to be transformational, they just want to keep doing what they’ve always done. In the case of industry experts, who should be offering the right advice to help customers save time and money by moving away from the conventional options, they won’t as they are only thinking about the huge profits they are making on selling more hardware and software licences to maintain their normal world. Looking back to the example of the CrowdStrike incident I rest my case.
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