After a long period of Windows Omerta, in which Microsoft gagged all details related to the future development plans for the Windows platform, the company has come out and confirmed the availability dates for the first beta of Windows Vista SP1, as well as for the final release of the refresh. Microsoft finally managed to cough up the details related to its plans for Windows Vista Service Pack 1. Going against Steven Sinofsky, Senior Vice President, Windows and Windows Live Engineering Group, and the implementer of Windows Omerta codename Translucency, the Redmond company revealed that the final update for Vista will be delivered in the first quarter of 2008 while the first beta for the service pack is scheduled to go to testers in just two weeks.

Seven months is all it took Microsoft to come out publicly with the plans for the first service pack for Windows Vista. The Redmond company steadfastly failed to disclose even the most basic details associated with Vista SP1; however, there were plenty of leaks serving at least crumbs from the Microsoft Vista update feast. However, with this move, Microsoft finally managed to put at rest the rampant rumors about the service pack's availability milestones. Initially, speculations pointed out that the company was aiming to make Windows Vista SP1 available by November - December 2007. This date was erroneous, and you have been able to read about Microsoft's plans to deliver the first service pack for Vista after February 2008, since the end of July right here on Softpedia.

In the coming couple of weeks, Windows Vista Service Pack 1 will become available for download via Microsoft Connect. Microsoft informed that it will permit some 10,000 to 15,000 testers to access the service pack by mid September. Microsoft additionally promised to make available a public build of Vista SP1 for download later this year. The company would not comment on a launch date for the public Vista SP1 beta, but indicated that the release will be connected with the first release candidate of the refresh.