When Microsoft upgrades to its newest operating system, Penn is likely to follow suit.
Microsoft recently announced the development of Windows 7, the seventh version of the Windows operating system and the successor to Windows Vista.
Penn officials said they will consider testing and using the system, despite fairly recent upgrades to Vista.
Microsoft said in a press statement that Windows 7 will feature more connectivity with mobile phones and capabilities for "cloud computing" - using Web-based applications rather than programs loaded on the computer itself.
Microsoft has been developing Web-based versions of software such as OneNote, Excel and Word to be accessible by Web browser rather than being limited to a hard drive.
Despite recently upgrading all Wharton computers to Vista, Wharton Computing information technology director David Comroe said that - after thoroughly testing the new system - Wharton would be up for an upgrade.
"At Wharton Computing, we do pride ourselves in providing the best, most up-to-date technology for our students," Comroe said.
Despite Vista's reputation for slow processing speed and incompatibility, Comroe said transitioning to Vista was easy for Wharton, and he doesn't anticipate Windows 7 being any different.
"We're such a controlled environment here that [the update] wasn't really a problem," he said.
He added that the transition was smooth because Wharton simultaneously brought in new computers and Vista, minimizing compatibility issues between software and hardware.
Wharton's agreement with Microsoft allows upgrades on a regular basis, meaning the school won't pay extra for an upgrade to the new technology.
Comroe said he doesn't expect the transition to Windows 7 to be as "dramatic" as the transition to Vista because the two systems are based on similar technology.
Chris Mustazza, IT project leader for SAS Computing, wrote in an e-mail that SAS would only consider adopting Windows 7 after checking whether it is compatible with commonly used College software, such as MATLAB.
"It's also imperative that whatever we deploy be very stable and secure," he wrote. "This usually happens after the first round of updates are released."
Mustazza added that Windows 7 will be incorporating features that many students already use, citing Google Docs as one example.
"We do anticipate that these types of applications will become more prevalent in the very near future," he added.
Microsoft hasn't announced an approximate release date, but Comroe speculated that Windows 7 would not come out until summer 2010 at the earliest.
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