Why are companies stalling on Windows Vista?

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Posted Thursday, 22 March 2007, 11:27 HST @810

I’ve had a few students ask me why businesses should upgrade to Windows Vista, the newest version of Microsoft’s operating system. Microsoft has spent a great deal of money and time promoting Vista, and has claimed that businesses are accelerating their Vista migration plans.

I always tell people to wait until Microsoft releases their first Service Pack before installing new Microsoft software.

This article from ZDNet features an interview with Simon Szykman, the CIO of NIST, the US government bureau that sets Federal standards for cryptography, information security, and other areas. NIST also runs the Computer Security Response Center, which posts alerts and warnings about virus, worms, and other computer security threats.

Sadly, that article has a deceptive title. NIST hasn’t banned Windows Vista. The agency is evaluating the operating system.

NIST, like many large organizations, has several applications that were developed in-house. While Microsoft tested Windows Vista on thousands of computers worldwide, companies usually perform their own testing with these homegrown programs. This is crucial, as Windows Vista might not support hardware or software that companies rely upon every day.

In January, ZDNet described how Microsoft invited NIST and the National Security Agency and to review and comment on the official Windows Vista Security Guide. NIST is still examining how to secure its own computers wafter Windows Vista is installed. The Janaury 2007 version of the guide is available here.

Dell, HP and other computer manufacturers have largely stopped shipments of Windows XP on new computers. Customers who haven’t switched to Windows Vista usually wipe the new hard disk, and install Windows XP. However, some new machines might be used as testbeds to determine how much value Windows Vista might deliver.

NIST, like other organizations, has already adopted Internet Explorer 7, which was included in Windows Vista. IE 7 also shipped for Windows XP, and for most Windows users, it’s a good upgrade that closes some security holes and adds helpful features like tabbed browsing. Of course, Firefox has offered tabbed browsing for years.

Microsoft Office 2007 shipped earlier this year, but as I mentioned on February 21, some companies are encountering problems with Office 2007’s new file formats.

Personally, I don’t plan on using Windows Vista any time soon. I’m hoping to replace my university Windows XP computer with a Mac. I’m waiting for Office 2008 for the Mac, also.