Difference Between Ultimate and Enterprise Windows 7 | Difference Between

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Ultimate vs Enterprise Windows 7

Microsoft Windows has been the number one computer operating system for the past 2 decades. To suite their customers, Microsoft produces different editions of their operating system to fit their prospective clients. With Windows 7, the Ultimate and Enterprise editions are on the top end of their offerings. The two pretty much have the same specifications and are virtually identical to the end user. The main difference between Ultimate and Enterprise is the targeted user. Enterprise is targeted towards companies who deploy the operating system in their offices. The Ultimate version of Windows 7 has the same features as the Enterprise version but it is aimed towards home users.

This difference is clearly apparent when you look at how you can purchase either version of Windows. Just like most other versions of Windows, the Ultimate edition can be purchased individually and can be activated using the usual phone and internet methods. The enterprise edition is slightly different as you would not get it through retailers and OEMs. It is only available via Microsoft Software Assurance and only in large volumes. Buyers of the Enterprise Edition also get a number of benefits due to Microsoft Software Assurance, but these are already beyond the differences of Enterprise and Ultimate. Activation is also slightly different for the Enterprise Edition as it is rather tedious to individually activate each license if you have hundreds, or even thousands, of computers with distinct licenses. Activation of the Enterprise Edition is done via Volume License Key, commonly referred to as VLK, and only uses a single license key.

Another slight difference between Ultimate and Enterprise editions is in the duration of support that will be provided by Microsoft. Microsoft assures support for the Enterprise Edition up to 2020 at the earliest. In contrast, users of the Ultimate edition only have assured support up to 2015 at the earliest. It is quite odd that the more expensive edition shares the same support duration as the Home Premium Edition, with the cheaper Professional edition sharing the longer duration of the Enterprise Edition.

For ordinary users, the Enterprise Edition is not really an option. But, the Ultimate edition is a viable alternative to those who want the full list of features that Windows has to offer.

Summary:

1.Ultimate is available to home users while Enterprise is only available companies
2.Ultimate is available in individual licenses while Enterprise is only sold in volume
3.Microsoft support for Ultimate extends to 2015 while support for Enterprise extends to 2020