IT directors have been urged to start fully evaluating
Vista, Microsoft’s next-generation operating system, and look at
related issues like training and integration of other applications,
to ensure companies planning to upgrade in 2007 or 2008 do not come
unstuck.
After a long wait, Microsoft finally confirmed last week that
Windows Vista will be available to business users, along with
Office 2007 and Exchange Server 2007, from 30 November.
The availability of the next Windows desktop operating system
comes at a time when CIOs are assessing the cost of support of
Windows 2000 and the value of Microsoft’s Software Assurance
licensing scheme.
Gartner research vice-president Michael Silver said an 18-month
evaluation timeframe was realistic, as it would take many
organisations that length of time to test applications and to get
their other software suppliers to support applications, build
images and run pilots.
But Silver added that, since the lead time was a necessity for
most, organisations that ignored Vista until 2008 would not be
ready to deploy it until 2010.
The enterprise version of the operating system includes new
hardware security, virtualisation, searching and graphical
features, and analysts warned it would require preparation and
training before businesses could consider rolling it out.
Those most likely to become early adopters include volume
licence holders of Microsoft’s Software Assurance scheme, who are
first in line for the new system and due to get an exclusive
version called Windows Vista Enterprise.
But even for those with Software Assurance, analysts said 18
months would be necessary for most firms to migrate to Vista with
any confidence.
Forrester Research’s vice-president and research director Simon
Yates said, “Many firms are reluctant to jump on board with the new
operating system immediately. Most do not want to enter into yet
another major PC operating system upgrade cycle, and would prefer
to stick with Windows XP as a single, stable version of Windows
that meets most of their end-user application needs.”
Yates said Microsoft had made efforts to tackle the phenomenon
of “upgrade apathy” by including features to make Vista more
modular and manageable, but he said he still expected a trickle
rather than a rush of early adopters.
Richard Edwards, senior research analyst at Butler Group, said,
“I think, as always, those that can wait will wait.
“We always recommend that you design your IT strategy around
your business requirements. Because of this, adopting Office 2007
may well come slightly higher on the list than Vista for both IT
and business heads. The reason is that, while it is still quite
difficult to spot the real business value, it is easier to see the
immediate value in Office than in Vista.”
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Vista's business benefits
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