Will SP1 Provide the Necessary Steroids for Windows Vista Growth?

The market performance of Windows Vista in 2007 was nothing short of a success from Microsoft's perspective. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and Neil Charney, General Manager, Microsoft Windows Client, at 2008 International CES, both pointed to Vista install base passing the 100 million milestone as a sign of positive response to the latest Windows client across 2007. Vista's market success in the past year culminated on February 4, 2008, with the divorce of G. Michael Sievert from Microsoft, and the retirement from the position of Corporate Vice President for Windows Product Marketing. The Redmond company failed to connect the departure of Sievert from the company with his failure to drive global marketing for Windows.

But in the end, it is not in the general consumer sector that vista sales have been suffering, in terms of corporate adoption. Microsoft confirmed that business penetration of Vista was only about 3% at the end of 2007. But this aspect has been constantly improving throughout 2007, according to statistics made available by CDW.

"CDW's third and final Windows Vista Tracking Poll concludes over a year of adaptation and learning for Microsoft, industry partners and adopters alike," said Mark Gambill, CDW vice president. "Windows Vista is a multifaceted product that offers features and advantages to users with very diverse needs - a direct reflection of computing in today's complex business world - and product perceptions have stabilized behind a steady move toward adoption."

No less than 48% of IT decision makers revealed that their respective organizations were evaluating Vista and preparing for adoption. The fact that Windows Vista Service Pack 1 was released to manufacturing on February 4, and it is readied for general availability starting with mid-March, is by no means a coincidence with the fact that the operating system's uptake is beginning to take up steam.

"The final phase of the year-long study finds Windows Vista gaining traction in the mainstream business market, with 48 percent of respondents stating that their organization is using or evaluating Windows Vista - up from 29 percent in the previous poll taken in February 2007 and from 12 percent in the first poll taken in October 2006," CDW sated. "Of those respondents evaluating or using it, 35 percent are in some stage of migration to Windows Vista, up from 12 percent in the previous poll. Thirteen percent of implementations are complete, with an additional 33 percent planned for completion by May 2008."