14 DAY TRIAL // According to Microsoft, the US IT industry will be flooded by Windows Vista-related revenue, by the billions. In this regard, the Redmond Company has commissioned a study to long-time "survey" partner IDC. The latter has performed a study of Vista's impact across the European and American IT industry. Crumbs of the Vista revenue study have already been published. Microsoft has revealed the estimated revenues Windows Vista will produce in 2007 for six European markets, and for the IT industry in New York, New Jersey, California, Florida and Massachusetts.
Now it is the turn of the Illinois IT industry. IDC predicts that Windows Vista, in its first year of availability on the market will generate no less than $3 billion dollars for the Illinois IT industry. Additionally, the Redmond Company predicts that the operating system will generate over 5,000 new jobs in Illinois.
"Windows Vista will create additional revenues for Microsoft in Illinois, but will also create even bigger economic ripples throughout the ecosystem that sells products and services in Illinois that run on or work with it," said John Gantz, chief research officer and senior vice president of IDC. "Windows Vista's footprint in the state will be wide, as original equipment manufacturers sell PCs that run on it, software companies sell applications that run it, and services and distribution firms deliver, install, support and train on it. We expect that in the first year of Windows Vista shipments, this ecosystem will sell more than $3 billion of Windows Vista-related products and services in Illinois."
Microsoft has not been shy in throwing around potential billions that Windows Vista is to produce by the end of 2007. However, in the first days on the market, the operating system has been plagued with problems and with consumer complaints. Despite this, Microsoft forecasts that for each dollar it will pocket from Windows Vista, the ecosystem outside the Redmond Company will reek in $18 of revenue.
"Microsoft is proud to bring products to market that help infuse economic growth here in Illinois," said Janet Kennedy, Midwest District general manager at Microsoft. "This launch is generating economic opportunities in Illinois and across the nation by creating jobs, enabling organizational efficiencies and helping solve business challenges for our customers, partners and the IT industry as a whole."