Windows 7 does not have the yellow exclamation point like XP did and that was a bit more difficult to miss.
In Windows 7, the "Updates are available" balloon shows for a short time and then hides itself. There is another nondescript blue icon that indicates updates are available that hides with the other hidden task tray icons and that no one will see unless that actively look for it.
Users quickly forget updates are ready to be installed and updates are never installed until after an update deadline is set which causes automatic reboots which may interrupt their work with what appears to them as a "random" reboot.
I know you can unhide "all" task tray icons, but that would be a mess of too many icons and the updates icon would not stand out against a sea of icons.
Is there any way to only unhide the Windows Updates icon or have the balloon notification persistently or repeatedly redisplay itself so users cannnot say they had no idea the updates were downloaded and ready to install because they didn't see the updates are ready icons or the pop up balloon?