With Windows Vista fresh on the shelves, Microsoft in now focusing on the forthcoming release of the Windows operating system. While Vista was still in development, the Redmond Company revealed that the five year gap separating it from XP would be a singular occurrence in Microsoft's history. Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer, underlined the fact that future releases of Vista would be served at a pace of approximately two years.

Ben Fathi, corporate vice president of development with Microsoft's Windows Core Operating System Division made it clear at the RSA Conference in San Francisco, that the Redmond Company plans to deliver Vista's successor by the end of 2009. However, Fathi failed to confirm the Vienna code-name for the next release of the Windows Operating system.

Fathi explained that Microsoft is using another codename for the follow-up operating system to Vista, but did not disclose it. In fact, Microsoft has asked its staff to keep the codename for the next release of Windows hush-hush. Fathi revealed that the codename is for inhouse use only and that public use is forbidden.

However, speculations already point to the fact that Microsoft is now referring to "Windows 7" as Vista's successor. This aspect was not confirmed by Microsoft, as the company is trying to limit the amount of information leaked to the public related to products in development. Besides, at this point in time, Microsoft cannot afford to steal any of the wind from Vista. It has poured another 500 million dollars in the marketing campaign for a 6 billion dollars operating system that analysts predict will only become the dominant presence on the market as of 2009.