When Microsoft unveils its next edition of Windows Tuesday, it will face its greatest challenge ever in operating systems, an analyst argued today.

“There’s never been a more critical point for Microsoft related to operating systems than now,” asserted Patrick Moorhead, principal analyst with Moor Insights & Strategy. “Enterprises are now considering what’s going to happen in the next five to ten years.”

Wes Miller of Directions on Microsoft concurred. “I do think this is pretty critical,” said Miller. “In the enterprise, lots of businesses are wondering how long they’re going to stick with Windows 7.”

Microsoft is expected to reveal its upcoming Windows tomorrow at an invitation-only press conference in San Francisco starting at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET). The focus of this initial introduction will be how the next Windows — codenamed “Threshold” and preemptively dubbed “Windows 9” by some — works with traditional personal computers, those that dominate in business and rely on mouse and keyboard input, not touch.

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