Windows Vista is a prime exemplar of Microsoft's main cash cows along with the Office 2007 System. But Vista is only an item of the company's Windows business. Microsoft is taking the necessary measures to monetize all aspects of the operating system. After all, wouldn't it be a real shame if a core detail of Windows Vista, such as the brand would go wasted exclusively on the platform when it can help push a variety of merchandise with absolutely no problems? This is why Microsoft is on the right track to milk Vista for all the platform's got. And the images included in here, courtesy of Long Zheng, are illustrative of such a business strategy.

Still, as Windows Live is limping, Microsoft also seems ready to search for alternatives for the Software plus Services model. And the Redmond company now steps in the mascots business. Enter the Windows Vista teddy bear. Secure, cute, cuddly, bug free... And a veritable steal at just $25 teddy. A product that will practically sell itself. No piracy concerns, no updates, no waiting around for the first service pack. This is the right time to migrate from your old and obsolete teddy bear to the Windows Vista Ultimate mascot. Upgrading is a seamless process...

"The impact of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 will reach far beyond Microsoft," commented John Gantz, chief research officer and senior vice president of IDC in a case study related to the impact of Vista and Windows Server 2008. "Overall, the advent of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 will help local economies grow, improve the labor force, and support the formation of new companies. In addition, the indirect benefits of using newer software will help boost productivity, increase competitiveness, and support local innovation."

Gantz pretty much summed it up. Just in 2008, in the U.S., the ecosystem built around Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 is expected to benefit from revenues of $120 billion coming from products and services orbiting around the client and server operating systems. Now, the Vista teddy bears are on sale at TechEd 2007 Australia, but as the Wow is a global phenomenon this should come as no surprise. Latest speculations reveal that Microsoft is getting ready to make available four additional versions of the Vista teddy bear for various scenarios across the home and the corporate environments.