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IS&T recommends community members wait to migrate to Windows 8

IS&T is making Windows 8 Enterprise available for early adopters, but strongly recommends delaying the transition.
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Image courtesy of Microsoft

Microsoft released a new operating system — Windows 8 — on Oct. 26.

Information Services and Technology (IS&T) is making Windows 8 Enterprise available to faculty, staff and students for download through the Microsoft Campus Agreement (MSCA) and is providing limited support for early adopters through the IS&T Help Desk. As with previous versions of Windows, MIT departments may install IS&T-provided licenses on all MIT-owned equipment. Additionally, each MIT student is allowed to install Windows 8 on one personally owned computer.

IS&T strongly recommends that members of the MIT community wait to move to Windows 8 Enterprise. We are making the operating system available now to empower departments, labs and centers (DLCs) to decide when to migrate to Windows 8. The timing coincides with Microsoft's release of Windows 8 Enterprise to the consumer market: IS&T wants to help DLCs avoid unnecessary purchases of licenses already covered through the MSCA.

Phased support plan

IS&T will phase in support for Windows 8 Enterprise over time. Starting Oct. 30, IS&T is offering support for
  • Configuring network connections (both wireless and wired);
  • Activating Windows 8 Enterprise licenses on MITnet, the campus network;
  • Installing MIT certificates.
As more software distributed by IS&T becomes compatible with Windows 8 Enterprise, we will increase our support for it and eventually recommend it. IS&T will continue to support other versions of Microsoft operating systems, including Windows 7 Enterprise, after we announce full support for Windows 8 Enterprise.

How to obtain

When you are ready to acquire your copy of Windows 8 Enterprise, go to IS&T's Windows 8 Enterprise page and click the Download button [certificates required].

Getting help

IS&T provides limited documentation for Windows 8 Enterprise on its website.

For assistance, contact the IS&T Help Desk at 617-253-1101, helpdesk@mit.edu, or by submitting a request online.

For more details on the Windows 8 Release Project, visit the project notebook [certificates required].

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