Windows 7 Boosts Microsoft Customer SatisfactionWindows 7 Boosts Microsoft Customer Satisfaction

Has Windows 7 had a big impact on Microsoft's frustrated customers and on Microsoft's bruised reputation? According to one study, Microsoft posted a bigger boost in customer-satisfaction scores after the Win7 rollout than ultracool Apple did after its release of Snow Leopard. That news, plus its strong financial results this week, give Microsoft some much-needed momentum.Noting that Microsoft's customer-satisfaction rate rose 14 percent through the end of 2009, market-research firm YouGovPlc said Apple's comparable lift was only half of Microsoft's at 6.9%, according to a Bloomberg.com article:

For CIOs, this news is likely to inspire additional confidence that Windows 7 can be regarded as a viable upgrade strategy, compensating for the disastrous Vista experience that all parties are eager to put behind them. Along with its new alliance with Hewlett-Packard and some forecasts that IT spending will be relatively strong in 2010, Microsoft is clearly counting on Win7 to play a huge role in getting back on CIOs' must-have lists.