PCmover is a migration tool designed to enable data transfer between Windows XP and Windows Vista. While Windows Vista delivers a comprehensive upgrade scenario from XP, PCmover addresses the necessity to move data from an old machine running Windows XP to one with Windows Vista installed.

Laplink Software announced that PCmover with Windows Vista support will be available for download no later than January 15 2006, and that the tool will hit the shelves before the general availability of Windows Vista: January 30, 2007.

"It takes a day or more for an employee to regain productivity after a computer upgrade, which affects every company's bottom line," said Sarah Cooke, a Laplink company representative. "If the business is paying an IT professional to sit in front of each computer and migrate everything manually, that costs the business even more."

Cooke explained that the release of PCmover for Vista targets the business environment and not only the home users as it will help manage lost productivity and reduce the costs associated with manual data migration estimated at $250 per every PC migration.

While Microsoft promised that Windows Vista will drive the decrease of total costs of ownership, migration expenses are not a part of TCO, and Laplink delivers a mush less expensive migration as PCmover costs $49.95. Via a USB cable, PCmover users will be able to transfer applications, files and settings from the XP PC to the Vista PC while the machines are connected via LAN.

Microsoft revealed that it too is preparing a data migration tool from XP to Vista. The Redmond Company also announced that the Windows Easy Transfer Companion will be offered as a free download and that a beta of the product will precede Windows Vista.