EasyJet takes off with Windows 7 upgrade

Migration to Windows 7 from XP has helped 'change lives' of easyJet's mobile workers, explains CTO Andy Caddy

EasyJet has upgraded its end-user systems from Windows XP to Windows 7, in a move the airline claims has changed the lives of its highly mobile employees.

"A good Windows 7 experience with a good laptop, with good networking is transformational for people. They can work from home or a coffee shop, it all works the same. The most common feedback I get is that it's changed their life from that point of view," Andy Caddy, CTO of easyJet, told Computing.

The airline, which has rolled out 9,000 Windows 7 desktops and laptops with the help of business technology solutions provider Avanade, made the move after employees began complaining that their XP systems were too slow and inflexible.

"We'd had XP desktops in place for a number of years, we've made that really deliver value for us, since about 2004 when we rolled them out," Caddy explained.

"It's been good, but over time XP has gradually degraded, as is often the case, and we got to the point when in 2010, within certain parts of the organisation it was a hindrance. Because we found it difficult to manage, we couldn't really provide mobility solutions and we didn't have the speed or responsiveness [we needed].

"For our crews, it's very important they have a good solution - they have to be in and out of a crew room in 15 minutes in the morning - and if there's a delay due to the slow solution, then that can cause a delay to our customers," he added.

Caddy said easyJet chose Avanade to help with the deployment because it "had the depth of expertise we needed", adding that its part ownership by both Microsoft and Accenture meant "they had all the backing of their parent companies but they still seemed quite a small company to deal with so it was culturally a good fit for us".

The phased rollout started in April 2011 and was completed towards the end of 2012. As well as Windows 7, the new desktops and laptops feature Microsoft Office 2010 software and a cloud-based email system. The gradual deployment made it simpler for staff to adapt to the change, Caddy said.

"We made sure to do technology drops, so we did the email to a different date to the desktop to a different date to the wireless. We ensured we did that in a consistent way so we could keep the communication and information flowing to our users, so that it wasn't a shock to people and something they could adapt to easily," Caddy said.

The process was relatively simple, but as he explained to Computing, there were some challenges with switching from XP to Windows 7.

EasyJet takes off with Windows 7 upgrade

Migration to Windows 7 from XP has helped 'change lives' of easyJet's mobile workers, explains CTO Andy Caddy

"Like any business, we had a few bespoke applications not particularly modern or up to date that we struggled with a little. But Windows 7 thankfully has a lot of different methods of making things work, and we got through all that."

Benefits of the upgrade include faster boot-up times with fewer technical faults and a more efficient and productive IT system overall.

"Sometimes do you IT projects and it's hard to see tangible proof you've had an effect, but in this case, we received great feedback," said Caddy.

With such a recent upgrade to Windows 7, he told Computing that he doesn't see a need to upgrade to Windows 8 anytime soon, if at all, despite benefits it might bring with tablet integration.

"We're a very lean airline and we have to be very economical where we direct our IT resources and people, so we try and get the most out what we've got. We got six years out of XP and I certainly don't see why we wouldn't get five years out of Windows 7, by which time there will be Windows 9 or Windows 10.

"I can't see it being a mass-adopted product for us, not having just rolled out Windows 7," Caddy concluded.