Formally taking the wraps off its latest flagship operating system  , Microsoft is releasing Windows Vista to the business community today, but it will be months, perhaps even years, before the software is widely deployed, according to industry analysts.
The highly anticipated Windows Vista launch coincides with the introduction of major upgrades to Microsoft's Office and Exchange products, providing a trifecta of sorts for the software giant.
IDC systems software analyst Al Gillen pointed out that, at present, Vista is available only to Microsoft's volume-licensing customers, and that PCs shipping with the OS already installed will not be available until early next year.
Testing, Testing
"Businesses will take their time playing with Vista before there is widespread adoption," Gillen said. "Larger organizations, especially, will go into an evaluation phase to determine how Vista works with their applications and computer systems before deploying it."
Gartner's Michael Silver offered a similar take, calling today's launch "a beginning" for Vista as business users start to test the OS. "What is perhaps more significant is that this serves as a wake-up call to consumers who will be able to get Vista in about eight weeks and can prepare for upgrading their PCs," he said.
Silver suggested that significant rollouts of Vista in the enterprise are 12 to 18 months away. Between now and then, Vista will be scrutinized for compatibility with existing I.T. systems.
Driving Adoption
Consumers, in fact, might hold the key to Vista's success. In a report released Wednesday, IDC noted that the operating system will quickly supplant the majority of shipments of older Windows software, led by strong acceptance on the consumer front. IDC projected that some 90 million copies of the OS will be sold in 2007.
Vista Home products will account for 90 percent of new Windows software deployed by home users, IDC claimed. By comparison, Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Enterprise will account for 35 percent of the new Windows software purchased by business users. During the second full year of availability, Vista Business and Vista Enterprise will grow to account for 80 percent of new deployments.
After a long wait, the adoption of Windows Vista will take place almost immediately among consumers, while businesses will follow a decidedly more conservative adoption path, according to Gillen. (continued...)
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