Ignoring the inevitable?

When it comes to deploying a new OS (whether at the Data Centers or for the end users consumption) the IT Pros tend to take a more cautious 'wait and see approach'. So the question begs, why should the new operating system from the software giant get any better treatment, is Windows Vista any better than its predecessors such as Windows 95, NT, 98, 2000, XP, in simple words the answer is a bold and resounding "HELL YEAH!!!"

Migrations to the Windows Vista is inevitable for the enterprise across the globe, delaying the planning and testing the OS in limited manner would only cause substantial issues in the future and could also lead to user dissatisfaction, not meeting the SLA, and other business competitive/security issues.

Imagine that in 2008 and if you are running/supporting ancient OS like Windows 2000 (launched 8+ years ago) or XP (7+ years ago), OEMs and device manufacturers and ISVs or software vendors would continue to limit their support for these older OS and at the same time you would be missing out on all the great features and cost savings that Windows Vista has to offer…  Visit this link for more info http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/default.mspx

 Know the facts: 

The facts around the development, testing and adoption speak for themselves:-

When developing Windows Vista, Microsoft set out to provide higher levels of productivity, mobility, and security, with lower costs. After more than six months of broad availability and usage, it's evident that these investments are improving the Windows computing experience. For example, in the first six months of use, Windows Vista had fewer security issues than Windows XP (Windows Vista had only 12 issues, and Windows XP had 36). According to the Windows Vista 6-Month Vulnerability Report by Jeffery R. Jones, Windows Vista had fewer security issues than all the popular operating systems he studied.

·         Over 60 Million sold thus far

·         Adoption rate faster than predecessors

·         Device Coverage Continues To Grow Rapidly; 700K New Device Types Added Since November 2006

·         Over 2.2 million devices
are supported by Windows Vista, between In-Box and
WU drivers, supporting the
vast majority of devices

·         Number of Logoed Devices exceeds 10,000
and growth is outpacing Windows XP

·         Over 20 Reliability and Compatibility updates delivered to all users using Windows Update

What's Cookin in Windows Vista SP1: 

So what's the whole big fuss about Windows Vista SP1, should the IT Pros and end-users really expects some elaborate feature sets or a big "SHOCK ‘n AWE ".  The straight answer for that is also not really. Let's talk about what is Windows Vista SP1:-

·         Windows Vista SP1 Is Another Vehicle To Improve Experience

·         Built and tested to enable smooth transitions for applications from Windows Vista RTM to Windows Vista SP1

·         What to expect

-          Improved Application Compatibility

-          Device Driver Improvements

-          Security, Reliability and performance

-          Administrative Experience

·         Customers can choose which updates they want, and install them with the technology best for their organization.

§  Windows Update (WU)

§  Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)

§  System Center Configuration Manager or 3rd party tools

Wait or not to Wait?

Organizations do not need to wait for SP1 to deploy Windows Vista; they are encouraged to begin their Windows Vista evaluation and deployment now:

• Organizations currently evaluating and deploying Windows Vista should continue their evaluation, pilot programs, and deployment on the initial ("Gold") Windows Vista release. Microsoft provides the tools and guidance needed to deploy Windows Vista today and will provide additional guidance, tools and support for moving to SP1 when the service pack is released.
• Organizations just starting to evaluate Windows Vista should plan a pilot program, targeting the PCs that gain the most business value from Windows Vista (for example, many organizations will find that mobile PCs get the most benefits) and present the simplest upgrade from the gold release of Windows Vista to SP1 (How to Start a Windows Vista Pilot Deployment describes best practices for running a pilot).
• Organizations waiting for Windows Vista SP1 should start their compatibility testing on the gold release of Windows Vista now, and then begin their evaluation and pilot programs on the release candidate of Windows Vista SP1 when it is released. Windows Vista includes architectural changes relative to Windows XP that improve security and reliability. These changes can cause some applications which work on Windows XP not to work on Windows Vista. However, these architectural changes are also part of Windows Vista SP1. For this reason, testing applications on Windows Vista today will be a very good proxy for compatibility with Windows Vista SP1.

What are the consequences for delaying the adoption of SP1?

Well, Windows Vista was made available to Business Customers Nov of 2006, with the adoption picking up in the enterprise segment it's likely that the new apps and support for new hardware devices coming from ISVs and OEMs will favor Vista (Vista is 6 years old OS and as the time goes on, the support will diminish).

Windows Vista has host of advancements and even without SP1, it makes complete sense to start the evaluation and POCs etc to get your shop ready. Scoping plans for hardware and app compact issues and sketching plans would only help the organizations move close to inevitable....