Windows Vista is not officially out the door and Microsoft is looking to debut the next stage of the operating system. Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is scheduled for availability in the second half of 2007. Microsoft has failed to provide the actual date when it plans to release the first service pack for Windows Vista. However, the release will have to evolve across all normal milestones of the development, from beta to release candidate and to release to manufacturing.

In this context, Microsoft has announced that it is currently accepting nominations for customers that want to get actively involved into the testing process of Windows Vista Service Pack 1. There are a few conditions that a customer or a Microsoft partner has to meet in order to be accepted as a TAP participant and you can read additional information following this link.

The TAP participants will be required to deploy pre-release versions of Vista SP1 into production environments. Within 30 days of a milestone release, testers will have to supply Microsoft with feedback focused on the product's stability at various stages across the development.

Additionally, the Redmond juggernaut informed that the main concerns of the TAP participants will revolve around security, deployment, regressions from Vista and XP, and in general, major impact issues.

A select number of Microsoft strategic customers will be able to benefit from the Technology Adoption Program and be the first to experience and deploy the new technology. Moreover, Microsoft is looking to obtain studies, analysis and marketing from the testing process of Vista SP1.