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Why Upgrade to Windows Vista?
by Alvin Azeez
Microsoft's first major operating system upgrade in 5 years, Windows Vista, is expected to be available to retail consumers in January 2007 and to business customers through volume licensing in November this year. Having said that, the company stated recently that they are continuing to evaluate Vista "milestone by milestone" and will ship the product "when it's ready" rather than according to "a hard and fast schedule".
However, Vista will get to the stores soon enough and it will begin showing up on new desktops and laptops. And if there is a major security attack aimed at legacy Windows XP systems, you may find yourself under serious pressure to upgrade fast. It is time now to get ready for Vista so that you are not caught short at a later date with insufficient hardware or incompatible software.
Key Benefits of Windows Vista
1. Security
Chief amongst the benefits of Vista are its numerous security improvements. Vista has been architected in the age of the Internet, in contrast to Windows XP, and it will be therefore much more resistant to Internet-based attacks. Windows Vista will make your PCs safer with built-in protection against spyware and other types of malicious software. The Network Access Protection feature will prevent laptops from connecting to the network unless they meet certain standards for patch management, virus signature downloads and so on.
Vista also offers authentication via smart cards in addition to user name and password checking. Vista also will offer strong, hardware-based encryption, which can protect documents when an employee's laptop is stolen.
2. Manageability
Vista will improve the process of deploying, supporting and managing desktops. IT Administrators will be able to control desktop settings remotely via command line, eliminating the need for your IT staff to visit every desktop when, for instance, it is time to upgrade client virus-scanning software.
Vista also will have built-in diagnostics that can help you to proactively address common problems before they occur.3. A Dynamic Interface
Vista has a shiny new interface, "Aero", and advanced multimedia features that will appeal to all the technology-lovers in your team. Aero will make it easier for you to find your way through the operating system and from application to application. For instance, Aero will help you juggle multiple tasks at once by providing a 3-D, real-time, animated view of all your open applications and documents.
4. Focus on Business
Windows Vista comes in a number of different versions, too many according to some commentators. However, two of the versions are specifically focused on the business community: Microsoft Vista Business edition, is optimized for small and medium-sized businesses, and Vista Enterprise, is for larger organizations.
One of the features of Vista Business are the "Small Business Resources", or IT Management tools. These will be a great benefit for those non-technical people who have the responsibility for the day to day support of their organisation's PCs. A built-in how-to guide will lead you through everyday tasks and troubleshooting in non-technical language. Time to Get Ready
Whether you see a business reason now to upgrade now, it is inevitable that your organization will have to upgrade to Vista at some point. Given that Vista's hardware requirements are steeper than those for Windows XP, and given that there may be issues with your business applications working with Vista, now is the time to assess these issues and plan for the future.
It is important now to take note of the hardware requirements of Vista when you make new hardware purchases. Corporate PCs have on average a 3 year cycle and over the next 3 years, you will most certainly have needed to upgrade to Vista. You don't want to get stuck with machines that won't work with Vista. Vista is no minor upgrade. There is virtually no part of the operating system that hasn't been altered in some way. Most common software will work under Vista however it is not possible to assume that all software will work, particularly customized applications. It is important to test your custom software now.
Although Microsoft will continue to support Windows XP and will issue Service Pack 3 for XP in late 2007, Vista will eventually replace XP. You can either take a gradual approach by letting Vista slowly into your organization as you buy new PCs or laptops or plan a corporate-wide upgrade when Vista has settled into the market. Either way, the time to get ready is now as you may need to upgrade more than just the operating system.About the Author:
Mr Alvin Azeez is a Technical Lead at Providence Technology Group, one of the leading IT service and solution providers in the Bahamas. Providence Technology Group specializes in Networking Solutions, Software Solutions and Consulting & Advisory Services. Mr Azeez has a Bachelor of Arts (Computer Sciences) and is Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA). He possesses over 6 years experience in network support, administration and management.
