Forget Windows Vista Service Pack 1, Service Pack 2 is here already. Well, at least the Beta build. In the second half of October 2008, Microsoft delivered the first taste of Vista SP2 to a small pool of customers, as an integral part of the service pack's Technology Adoption Program. Starting on December 2, the Redmond company has broadened the Beta for the second service pack for Vista. In this context, Mike Nash, corporate vice president, Windows Product Management, Microsoft, announced that MSDN and TechNet subscribers would have access to the Beta bits for Vista SP2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2. However, the two service packs will be made available for all Vista and Windows Server 2008 users starting tomorrow.

“Beginning Thursday Dec. 4th, we will be making the Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 Beta available to everyone through a Customer Preview Program (CPP),” Nash revealed. “The CPP will launch on TechNet and be available to anyone interested in trying out this service pack. The CPP is intended for technology enthusiasts, developers, and IT Pros who would like to test Service Pack 2 in their environments and with their applications prior to final release. For most customers, our best advice would be to wait until the final release prior to installing this service pack.”

Nash underlined the fact that SP2 is an illustrative example of the commitment of the Redmond company to Vista. The software giant is not pointing at Windows 7. However, it is trying, at the same time, to ensure the evolution of Vista, even in the context of the upcoming Win7 client. Microsoft has failed to indicate a specific release date for Vista SP2, but the company did confirm that the availability deadline was set in the first half of 2009.

“Windows Vista SP2 includes all of the updates that have been delivered since the release of Windows Vista SP1, and incorporates improvements discovered through automated feedback from the Customer Experience Improvement Program (where users voluntarily opt-in to sending Microsoft error reports from their systems). In addition to these updates, SP2 also includes support for new types of hardware and emerging standards that will grow in importance in the coming months,” Nash added.

For the time being, Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) Build 16497 is available for download here.