Now that Microsoft has finally set a date for Windows 7 in 2010, and since Windows XP is proving to be more stable than Vista, it seems to make more sense to avoid Vista altogether, keep Windows XP, and just wait until Windows 7.
OS changes and upgrades are a major hassle for enterprises according to Reza Zarafshar, president and CEO of Advanced Computer Concepts. While this statement holds true, no one says that enterprises necessarily have to go through the hassle of adopting every change and upgrade. Avoiding some upgrades may be a better option. Let’s take the case of Vista.
Vista adoption rate prior to date-release disclosure of Windows 7
In a survey conducted by CDW Corporation of 753 IT decision makers on Vista adoption, 1% of respondents stated that their organizations had completed upgraded to Vista, 19% planned to upgrade within the next 12 months, 6% planned to upgrade beyond 12 months, 13% planned to start rolling out Vista next year, and about 48% had no firm plan to upgrade.
The survey shows that many enterprises are unsure about Vista. As IT managers consider issues like application compatibility, a lack of drivers, and the absence of a service pack, Vista adoption poses more challenges than any of its predecessor.
Is it worth moving to Vista?
Up until now, Vista doesn’t support a significant number of applications, including some that are critical to business operation. Many hardware manufacturers also haven’t yet released drivers that support Vista. And up until now enterprises are waiting for the release of a more stable Vista release (SP1) next year or in 2009 before implementing Vista.
The resolution of application compatibility and driver issues to Vista may come too late. While application compatibility and driver issues should not be a big concern in one or two years from now, Vista deployment by that time may be less beneficial, especially if the enterprise has found no compelling reason to move over to Vista, especially if Windows 7 is on the horizon.
Another good reason for not jumping to Vista is the unclear benefits it offers to the enterprises. Vista maybe a nice new operating system with good features but overall it is not proving to be a “demand creator” for PC buyer, says Reza Zarafshar.
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