Windows XP endgame: Firm moving 30,000 PCs to tablets

 

The end of the world, er, the end of Windows XP support is nigh. To ease the transition, Microsoft Japan will help a major Japanese insurance company move 30,000 XP machines to Windows 8 tablets.
Meiji Yasuda, one of the largest Japanese insurance companies, is teaming up with Microsoft Japan and Fujitsu to upgrade 30,000 insurance sales personnel from Windows XP to Windows 8 tablets for use as mobile sales devices, Microsoft said Wednesday.

The clock is ticking: support for one of the world's most popular operating systems -- that would be Windows XP -- will end on April 8, 2014.
"Previously, the sales team prepared proposals on their Windows XP-based PCs and then printed them out in order to share with customers," Microsoft said.

Windows 8 will put end to those old ways. The tablets -- custom made by Fujitsu for the insurer -- will allow sales personnel to produce policies customized for specific customers on the fly.
Meiji Yasuda will be the first Japanese life insurance company to adopt Windows 8 Pro, according to Microsoft.