Microsoft says Windows Vista can cut desktop costs by up
to 63% while improving security. How will Vista and Office 2007
make good on these claims?
This Thursday (30 November), Microsoft will release its Windows
Vista desktop operating system and Office 2007 productivity suite
to business users.
Vista is being touted as Microsoft's most significant product
release since Windows 95 was introduced 11 years ago. It is
expected to be adopted by the vast majority of computer users in
time.
Vista will be available first to volume licence holders on
Microsoft's Software Assurance scheme. They will receive an
exclusive version, called Windows Vista Enterprise. A consumer
version will then be available in January 2007.
The updated version of Vista boasts sophisticated hardware
security, integrated document search capabilities and usability
improvements. These are provided by new graphical features such as
the Aero interface, which features a transparent windows
effect.
As a result, Vista will make heavier use of the PC processor,
graphics card and memory, and Microsoft has suggested minimum and
optimal PC hardware specifications, even making an online tool
available to determine whether your machines will run the operating
system.
Microsoft has said Vista will allow IT departments to reduce
desktop management costs by as much as 63% and improve IT security,
particularly for mobile users.
However, many businesses are not expected to upgrade their
systems immediately, but rather to wait until the software matures.
For example, IT directors within the Corporate IT Forum were
cautious about whether the benefits of Vista are compelling enough
to justify an early upgrade ahead of their desktop renewal
timetables.
Office 2007 also features significant changes, most notably the
Communicator unified messaging client, collaboration tool Groove,
electronic forms tool Infopath, and e-notebook Onenote. It also has
2007 versions of Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint, Word, Access and
Publisher.
A new interface features a "ribbon" rather than a taskbar, which
presents commands organised into a set of tabs.
But the biggest change for Office is that it is being positioned
as a business application platform that will act as a front end for
third-party business applications from the likes of SAP and
Oracle.
Initiatives such as Duet allow SAP processes to be accessed via
familiar Office applications. SAP plans this December to release
"value packs" that extend Office 2007 to SAP's travel, support and
sales, and demand planning management applications.
Oracle and others have also been working with Microsoft behind
the scenes to accomplish similar integration.
Forrester Research vice-president John Rymer said, "Assuming
mass adoption of the new release, Office 2007 will be a strong
alternative to custom desktop applications built using Windows
Forms and a good platform for collaborative Windows desktop
applications. Office 2007 will also provide an alternative for
building some kinds of rich internet applications and will compete
with Ajax techniques and Adobe Flex."
More on Windows Vista
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