The Application Compatibility Toolkit is a resource put together by Microsoft and designed to offer the necessary tools and documentation in order to streamline the deployment of Windows Vista, a Windows update or the latest version of Internet Explorer. The toolkit will help with the evaluation of an environment, the identification of possible compatibility problems and their mitigation. The Application Compatibility Toolkit was made available in late 2006, and is constantly updated. The latest version of the offering in now available for download.

"The Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.0 helps customers understand their application compatibility situation by identifying which applications are compatible with the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system and which require further testing. ACT helps customers lower their costs for application compatibility testing, prioritize their applications, and deploy Windows Vista more quickly," Microsoft revealed in the evaluation guide of ACT.

When it comes down to Windows Vista, the Redmond company has introduced a number of changes, in the evolution process from Windows XP. These modifications actively impact the way the operating system integrates and interacts with existing applications. This is why ACT brings to the table a variety of evaluators focused on the critical areas of the platform.

"Compatibility evaluators specific to Windows Vista - these compatibility evaluators include the Inventory Collector, the Internet Explorer Compatibility Evaluator (IECE), the User Account Control Compatibility Evaluator (UACCE), the Update Compatibility Evaluator (UCE), and the Vista Compatibility Evaluator (VCE) that evaluates potential GINA, Session 0, and deprecation issues," Microsoft added.

The bottom line is that users will be able not only to test application compatibility with the newest version of Windows, but also assess the impact of deploying a Windows Update in their environment. And on top of this functionality, ACT additionally offers the possibility of evaluating web applications and websites with the latest versions of Internet Explorer, including the updates made available for security reasons.