Guide covers all the bases of migrating to Windows 7, from expert tips to vendor tools to make it easier.

If you’re like most IT executives, you’re either planning a large-scale migration to Windows 7 or already on your way.

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Many enterprises skipped Windows Vista, hoping for something better to come along. They got it in the form of Windows 7. Early adopters have already moved to the updated operating system, with many others planning to follow in 2011 and 2012.

Windows XP is set to sunset in 2014, so large enterprises will be ramping up their implementations this year to get the new operating system in place before then.

Recently, Microsoft claimed that 350 million licenses of Windows 7 had been sold in the product’s first 18 months. But Windows XP still makes up more than half of all operating systems in use worldwide.

Any migration, particularly on a large scale, requires thoughtful planning. In this free PDF guide, Network World has collected some of the IT industry’s best practices. We list tips for migrating Windows applications. We name 11 tools you could use to get started. And we pass along information from Microsoft about desktop virtualization and how to calculate ROI.