During a Gartner Group Webinar, analysts said Windows business users should start to prepare for an upgrade to Windows 7 in the future.

Because Microsoft products are so entreched in the business world, users should be contemplating an upgrade in the future, Gartner said.

Although Windows 7 is more of a revamp of Vista, there are benifits to an upgrade. First of all, 59 percent of users never upgraded to Vista, according to a Garner poll, so some of the features included Vista can now be used in the more stable Windows 7.

There are also new features in Windows 7: AppLocker, BitLocker to Go, BrancheCache, better User Account Control settings, an updated user interface and support for HomeGroups are all included in the OS.

According to Gartner, businesses should plan for a 12 to 18 month test period for Windows 7 before implimenting the system across their network.