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The Business Value of Windows Vista

Jun. 4, 2008 Paul Thurrott | Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows

So my talk today with Mike Nash was about the white paper mentioned in this blog post:

This one is for all you IT professionals out there. A lot of you are probably having discussions inside your company about when to deploy Windows Vista, or you've deployed it and want to know which of the new capabilities can have the biggest impact on your business.

To help in your evaluations we've released a new white paper, The Business Value of Windows Vista: Five Reasons to Deploy Now. (Download the XPS or PDF.)  This document summarizes the top enterprise features, latest customer case studies, and research on the capabilities of Windows Vista all in one place.

What are the top 5 reasons? Here's a peek at what's inside the doc:

  1. Improves the Security of PCs and Confidential Data. Windows Vista Enterprise had 20% fewer security vulnerabilities than Windows XP SP2 did in 2007-and it includes BitLocker Drive Encryption to help protect your confidential data.
  2. Unlocks the Potential of Today's Mobile PCs. Windows Mobility Center helps users quickly access key mobility settings all in one place and research shows that Windows Vista can help customers save as much as $251 per mobile PC, per year.
  3. Makes You and Your People More Productive. Find the information you need on your computer and reduce time spent searching for information by up to 42%.
  4. Speeds ROI with Rapid Deployment and Migration. New imaging technologies and free deployment tools make the process of deploying Windows Vista easier than with any previous version.
  5. Reduces Support and Management Costs. The costs saving can come from multiple places including reduced help desk calls, less time spent on image maintenance, or a lower energy bill.

This document is designed for you to use and share with others in your organization that may have questions about Windows Vista. You can also find this whitepaper and others on the Windows Vista Enterprise Web site.

They really do have a good case for Vista in businesses here, though of course the iCabal will simply say this is just the latest attempt by Microsoft to prove that Vista isn’t a failure. (Arguably the latest Apple ad is just the latest attempt at the reverse.) Whatever. This ties in, I think, to my assertion from earlier today that Microsoft needs to separate out its consumer and business efforts. The needs of these markets are just so very different, and Microsoft is already approaching them completely differently. Let’s just take the extra step to formalize this process logically.

I’m going to write something about the business value of Vista within the week, but I would like to do it in such a way that it doesn’t read like another “in defense of Vista” article. It’s time to move on from that obviously flawed notion.

Discuss this Article 11

Ocean
on Jun 4, 2008
Obviously flawed? The problem is that Vista is a luxury for most users, businesses included, and it's not a must have. MS climaxed with XP...that was the last 'must have' windows OS. Vista is there for whenever I get a new machine or whenever businesses decide they have to do a upgrade cycle. Thats why MS, and the vista fans have to 'sell' the OS. Thats why we have to have white papers and articles about the 'business value of Vista' : because it's not immediately apparent...and it might not even be there. But I'll wait for the article to see. :)
Ocean
on Jun 4, 2008
>>Download the XPS or PDF<< What is a XPS??
DRWAM
on Jun 4, 2008
Ocean, another reason is some of us [businesses] have apps that are so old, that we are lucky that they run on XP. It will be very costly to replace them. We plan on it, but it will take time. You are also correct that XP works just fine, and although Vista is a great OS with good reasons to upgrade, it's not a 'must have' right now. Also, we fear that the low end, business grade PC's may not have enough horse power for Vista.
whiplash55
on Jun 4, 2008
While upgrading to Vista may not be happening anytime soon, (many of us just got off 2000) avoiding Vista seems foolish. In the last year it has improved dramatically and in my experience with it at home is the most stable release of Windows yet. I'm puzzled why Microsoft allowed so any of their newer applications that improve the OS be compatible with XP. The new search and Windows Live applications improve XP considerably. And I thought Office 2007 would be Vista only? Sometimes I think they don't want people to upgrade or are they afraid people will dump the platform altogether?
johnpapola
on Jun 5, 2008
Paul, please stop with this "iCabal" routine. It taints every post you use it in with the aftertaste of bias. It's also dumb and feels like a blatant effort to create a "meme" even tough nobody cares.
dugbug
on Jun 5, 2008
oh come on johnpapola, I love the iCabal term :) The same group praises apple for inventing multitouch, which was lifted almost directly from existing research (not that Im complaining, I am a fan of the iphone). But nonetheless any implementation of public research is seen as a copy. Most businesses are new to XP. Why do analysists expect some rapid adoption?
subzerohitman721
on Jun 5, 2008
@Ocean XPS - XML Paper Specification. Microsoft created royalty free document format. http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/xps/default.mspx My Comments: I can understand why businesses want to hold on to XP at least until early/mid 2009. Thats when most businesses will roll over to Vista. Between now and the release of Windows Seven, XP will be continually challenged by virus writers, spam, malware, rootkits, and other system compromising approaches. However, the real fault for the lack of preparation for Vista's arrival belongs completely with the various IT departments and high business management across the world. Instead of putting the resources and manpower to properly test and upgrade software, most ignored or did so at an inadequite pace. From the start of beta 1 on July 27, 2005 up to the consumer release on Januray 30, 2007, IT departments had exactly 18 months and 3 days to accurately test and prepare for Vista. How much more time did all these IT departments need to get ready for Vista? Why didn't these software companies start testing way back then? Since business is always a "presumed daily operational model", planning for future infrastructure/environmental operating changes is what great company do. That failure to properly prepare shows a lack of leadership and understanding of the evolving computer world. It is not like we started shipping Windows to businesses yesterday, this kind of thing has been happening for 15 years. Businesses are always behind the curve and never fully or accurately plan for future operating systems. So to blame Vista and Microsoft for it, is not a sound or logical premise. Each business, software company, IT department, and even tech pundits have to share the blame for not taking that preparation seriously. I on the otherhand, was checking out and watching it closely. I had even used Vista's minimum/recommended specifications to hand build a Vista-Premium system. If a simple enthusiast like myself can accurately prepare for Vista by using common sense and a little forethought, IT and business have no excuse. Businesses and IT got caught with their pants down and everyone decided "Blame Microsoft, Blame Vista." Sorry guys, but have the balls to admit you missed the train and hand to make other plans. The lesson of Vista should be painfully and somewhat embarassingly obvious. IT departments and software companies need to beta their stuff early, often, accurately, and efficiently. If they did this, probably more companies would be migrated with others joining in 09. More companies will do so, but I bet you all will fail to learn the obvious.
Ocean
on Jun 5, 2008
<www.microsoft.com/.../default.mspx << Is there any need for a product like this? A need?
heran
on Jun 5, 2008
"Is there any need for a product like this? A need?" Many people in this world don't even use computers, they may ask "is there any need for a computer? a need?"
Waethorn
on Jun 7, 2008
"Many people in this world don't even use computers, they may ask "is there any need for a computer? a need?" tell that to Nick Neg.
johnbaxter
on Jun 16, 2008
Digs at the "iCabal" in connection with the "Vista is a Failure" meme and related oddities of crowd-think seem misplaced. While it's true that members of the "iCabal" do spread the meme, I venture that at least 98% of the spreaders of the meme are Windows users, not Mac users. There aren't enough iCabalists to have created the meme in the space where it is widespread. (I don't have a problem with your use of "iCabal" in other contexts--I find it amusing, just as I find the Get a Mac ads confusing [and the ads have made me a John Hodgman fan quite aside from their technical (de?)merits. And iCabal is a handy label.) Who am I to say this? I much prefer Mac OS X to Windows, and it is what I use. I do have a (cheap) Vista laptop (needed to answer Vista questions early on). And Windows XP virtualized to run one program I'll be able to phase out by the end of July, which will let me retire the XP virtual machine from my MacBook. I can't imagine going back to XP from Vista for anything. (Note that I didn't have strong XP habits to break.) When local computer club members ask what to buy, I don't tout the ways to get XP (Vista's first 6 months or so, I sometimes did). I may suggest Vista; I may suggest a Mac; more often than either I suggest at least looking at Mac before staying with WIndows and getting a Vista machine. I don't consider myself part of the "iCabal"--but if you want to that's fine: no insult taken.

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