The concept of return on investment (ROI) goes back to the beginning of time and is perhaps best defined by Machiavelli in the phrase "the ends justify the means." As IT and users alike prepare for the rollout of Windows 7, that same cold calculation has to be made on when, if not whether, to move to Windows 7. The question is simple: Will my investment in purchasing, rolling out, and training for Windows 7 provide my business with a positive ROI?

In the current troubled economy, it is difficult to justify spending additional funds for what may be simply turn out to be eye-candy enhancements. The fact is, if your users are functioning well and you have limited issues with your current XP or Vista environment (but let's be realistic -- few companies have adopted the latter OS), you will not likely get a measurable and appreciable ROI in a move to Windows 7.

[ Is your PC Windows 7-ready? Get OfficeBench 7 and the companion Windows Sentinel PC-monitoring tools from InfoWorld, at no cost. | Also get InfoWorld's Windows 7 Deep Dive 21-page PDF report to prepare for the new Microsoft OS. ]

Note: There are credible tools and spreadsheets that can help you assess and quantify the costs and benefits of moving to Windows 7. One that I've found to be quite extensive and useful comes from Hall Consulting and Research. And when you are ready to make the move to Windows 7, I encourage you to read my InfoWorld how-to guide "Ready for Windows 7? Here's how to deploy it right," which is also available in a Kindle version for Amazon.com Kindle owners and iPhone owners who have the Kindle app installed.