While Microsoft remains loyal to its Windows Omerta, Intel CEO Paul Otellini managed to leak the release date for the first service pack to Windows Vista. Intel is one of the companies that is currently extensively testing Windows Vista and that will deploy the operating system following the availability of the first service pack. While Microsoft originated reports are oscillating between confirming and infirming Vista SP1 details, Otellini revealed that the service pack will be made available in either October or November 2007.

This simple report has started a commotion over at Microsoft. Microsoft may keep the release date of Windows Vista SP1 a close guarded secret, but the Redmond Company knows the actual release date. "I've been in Athens with other evangelists looking at Longhorn. On Friday morning one of the guys came in saying Intel's CEO has given a date for Vista SP1. So I've been trying to find out what was said. Paul Otellini said he expected Vista deployment will begin to take place in earnest in the fourth quarter, when the service pack for Vista comes out around October/November," revealed James O'Neill, Microsoft IT Professional Technical Evangelist.

O'Neill denied that Otellini leaked anything besides a personal guess. However, O'Neill did manage to bridge the gap between Windows Server Longhorn and Windows Vista Service Pack 1. The fact of the matter is that Windows Vista SP1 will be released either concomitantly or close after Longhorn's release.

What we know so far is that the final version of Longhorn is due in the second half of 2007 and Vista SP1 in October/November. Putting two and two together it is clear that Longhorn will also drop sometime in October or November 2007.

"Windows Server Longhorn and Windows Vista share a lot of code. Windows Server Longhorn is about to go into beta 3, and we expect it to ship by the end of the year. Given the overlap between Vista and Longhorn server the best guess for Vista SP1 is 'roughly the same time as Longhorn' - was that a surprise ? Not to anyone who's looked at Longhorn. Has Paul O leaked a ship date for Longhorn ? Not really: take your guess for the release of Beta 3, add your guess for the duration of Beta 3 and a couple of release candidates and "around October/November" would be in the middle of the range," O'Neill, added.