Poll: Businesses in U.S. warm to Vista

Adoption of Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system is starting to pick up among businesses in the U.S.

Just under half--48 percent--of IT decision makers in the U.S. are using or evaluating Vista, according to a poll by IT services firm CDW.

CDW's third Windows Vista tracking poll since October 2006, this survey shows a 19 percentage-point increase in adoption since February 2007.

Vista migration is also increasing, with 35 percent of those surveyed saying they are in the process of moving to Vista. Just 12 percent said this last February. Thirteen percent of these migrations are complete and another third are due to be finished by May 2008.

CDW claimed this shows Microsoft's latest operating system is now seen as a more viable option in the mainstream business market.

Of those still testing and migrating to Vista, almost half said its performance and key features are "above expectations," with the top-rated features being security, performance, productivity, search, and updates.

Mark Gambill, CDW vice president, said the past year was one of "adaptations and learning for Microsoft, industry partners, and adopters alike."

Gambill added that, since people have begun to understand the benefits of the operating system, there has been a "steady move towards adoption."

The CDW survey also found an increase in Microsoft Office 2007 adoption, with 24 percent of businesses saying they'd made the move, compared to just 6 percent in the last survey.

The poll was conducted by Walker Information and covered 772 IT decision makers.

Tim Ferguson of Silicon.com reported from London.

[kojacked]

Just like XP...

Looks like Vista is on track to take XP's place despite the Microsoft haters out there who want people to believe otherwise. Like I've said before the same derrogatory things were said about XP when it first came out. Driver problems, app compatibility and the like were all there in spades when XP first came out. Well now even the haters say XP is better. The same will happen to the next version of Windows and the next and the next. Unless of course Microsoft goes the Apple route and dumps the OS entirely to go with something entirely new (or borrowed) like Apple did with OSX and then you haters can really bash Microsoft for app & driver compatibility issues because it will actually be a big issue...

[samkass]

... just more slowly

I don't think too many people are suggesting that Vista won't
become the most popular desktop OS in 2008, edging out XP.
But going by percentage of market share, Vista had a much
slower adoption rate than XP. However, a record number of
folks are also jumping ship to MacOS X, which is growing at 3x
the industry growth rate, so not 100% of the XP folks will
become Vista folks.

As for MacOS X's backwards compatibility-- that's why MacOS
will never reach 90% corporate market share, but also why
things are so great for MacOS X users. Yes, we have to upgrade
software more than once a decade, but it's excellent software
and we're willing to invest in our own productivity instead of
obsessing over capital costs. And at this point, MacOS X is 64-
bit clean so moving from 32 to 64 bits does not require any noticeable transition on MacOS, unlike Windows which DOES lose
significant backwards compatibility.

[tarrantm]

Which reality is that?

Most Win2k drivers worked perfectly well under XP if you edited them or disabled the driver signing check. XP didn't have nearly the usability drop going from Win2kpro that business users and hardware encounter going from XP to Vista.

[kojacked]

Just like any article about a Microsoft product...

...the same trolls respond with the same comments and read what they want out of the article and others comments.

I never said Vista would over take XP this year.

As for driver problems going from 2K to XP that all depends on who you talk to. For many there were no compatible drivers. While you could bypass driver compatibility warnings in XP a lot of those drivers were unstable and caused XP to blue screen -- which of course folks like you trolls would frame as an instability in XP rather than a driver problem.

And while the Mac (and many of Apple's products) are no doubt taking market share from Microsoft and others I have to wonder what the breakdown is between consumer and business? I suspect you'll find much of those market gains are on the consumer side (Macs included). It's difficult for OSX and other OSs to get business market share because of the entrenchment of Microsoft products. It's just like back in the day when the U.S. government was trying to get business and the rest of America to convert to the metric system. That died for the same reasons -- too costly for businesses and there was no compelling reason.

[ralfthedog]

No advantage.

The only reasons to upgrade from one version of Windows to another are:

1. The new version supports more memory. If you can stick more ram in a computer that runs the new OS, that is an advantage.

2. More storage. If you can use larger hard drives, that is an advantage.

3. wider bit depth. If the New OS supports 128 VS 64 bit, that could be an advantage.

Other than the three items above, every new version of windows has been a downgrade. They have used more ram, they have eaten more clock cycles. If Microsoft were to release a version of Windows 95 that supported 64 bit code, 8GB of ram and 1TB hard drives, I would upgrade to that in an instant (I miss the ability to boot into a single tasking mode that lets you devote 100% of your cycles to the run that will take 16 days to finish. The same run would only take 8 days from the command prompt. That is why all real computing is done from Linux, BSD or the like.)

At the Moment, I don't have any 128 bit code that I would run on a windows platform. 8GB of ram is quite enough (For my Windows computers). One terabyte hard drives are solving most of my problems. Why would I toss a bunch of clock cycles at my OS just so I can have a bunch of animated dancing flowers as my desktop image?

[suyts]

You're missing the point,

Yes, each new version of MS does take more resources. It is the new programed functionalities that require the resources. True, if one had the ability and time, you can program a PC to do all that Windows does in a more efficient way. Who has the time??? A PC that does nothing takes very little resources. The more it does, the more it takes. BTW, 95???? 98se was much better IMHO. If it were not for the malware writing bastards, I'd take 98 any day.

[Microsoft_Facts]

In health care IT, Vista is still a non-starter.

I've been supporting IT systems for heath care providers since NetWare 2 and DOS 3 was the latest thing. Never have I seen such a resistance to a MS upgrade since Vista. So much so, that Vista is still 0% supported for every app I work with, all hospital PACS portal/VPNs, and certainly PCs connected to medical equipment. A few months back I polled 7 vendors of medical automation software re: Vista support; 5 responded a flat-out No, 1 responded with 'we are currently testing Vista compatibility but have no firm plans for supporting it', and 1 'we have a client that reports they have our app running on Vista, but we won't support it'.

Vista was the best thing that ever happened to Mac and OSS platforms. Two of the above vendors currently using SQL are exploring MySQL on Linux and java/web based clients. Health care sure isn't warming up to anything from MS these days, the response is outright glacial.

[sal-magnone]

Healthcare IT?

I've been the CIO of a major healthcare operation. Most of them are still using Windows 2000 is significant numbers.

If it was the target of transition rather the the transition itself that was frightning they would have found an laternative (ie: mac, linux).

Healthcare is the WRONG sector be gauging the market in.

[Maclover1]

Please poll

someone that does not stand to make a profit form companies moving to Vista.

CDW is not going to say "man nobody is moving to Vista, stay away from it, we dont need the money anyways".

Lame

[BryanSD]

Extreme on the Optimism

You look at this story and it's difficult to not note how everything is worded. Most of us that more evaluating Vista aren't warming up to the product...we're just facing the inevitable day when we may have to migrate from XP to Vista. I'm a long-time supporter and advocate for Windows in the enterprise...but can't help feeling like Microsoft is pushing us down the wrong path.

Also, if people are really surprised that the performance of Vista met/exceeded their expectations then their expectations for Vista must have been set very low. For the business environment, this is Windows ME all over again. We weathered the storm back then with Windows 98SE and we'll weather the Vista storm with Windows XP.

Microsoft needs to reinvent itself with a new more Linux/Unix like operating system. The Windows line reminds me of a car from the 70's that never took the lead out of it's gasoline. You knew the car wasn't good for your health or the environment...but the industry kept on telling you it really wasn't that bad. Cough, cough...

[john55440]

The release of SP1...

The release of Vista SP1 will remove a psychological barrier to the business adoption of Vista.

On the consumer side, Vista-preinstalled is already the standard on new computers.

[BryanSD]

SP1 may not save Vista

I agree that SP1 will be a signal for most businesses to move into the Vista arena. I've been evaluating the SP1 RC and SP1 RC Refresh and do note some improvements in performance and less bugging with regards to networking. However...next to XP or Linux (we use both in my workplace)...Vista is still dead weight.

Everytime I've given someone a Vista desktop at work to try...they asked for it to be removed. The prefer XP over Vista and they're not just being anti-change. These same users have said "yes" to Office 2007, just no thank you to Vista.

[Renegade Knight]

Only if SP1 Is More than a Band Aid

A Baid Aid covers up the problem but doesn't cure it.

[bwtanker]

Vista

they just extended the time that computer makers can use windows xp on new PCs.I'ed say that was significant

[supoman]

This is one of those stories sponsored by Microsoft.

I work at a large Telecom (really large...you figure it out)and we are just now migrating to XP. I just doubt the the validity of the headline. With all of the problems Vista has had what CIO would be stupid enough to migrate to Vista when XP is just perfect?

[Maclover1]

I agree

I worked for a large Rent-A-Car company last year(really large you figure it out:)) There is an article on how that company is moving to Vista. They tested it with a 200 person user group. Vista would run 76 of the 289 apps used there. The pilot was put on hold until 2009. Yet those licences via the Enterprise agreement are counted in the "100 million" and MS is counting them as migrating.

I work at a even larger company now, same Enterprise agreement, waiting until 2009 or later. Probably still counted.

[RompStar_420]

MSFT is a Manipulator

Microsoft has always been a manipulator of words and meaning. Little corporate white collar lies as I call them.

When MS says 100 million Vista, I bet less than 10% of that is acctually installed and being used. 10 Million, never trust a Jill when it comes to money or metrics.

[faust]

Warming to it or Forced on us?

Is it really warming up to a product if our other choices are taken away?

[suyts]

Who is taking your

choices away? An evil CDW?? They sell Macs and Linux boxes. Maybe Dell, nope, they sell Linux boxes too. HP, no, they sell Linux boxes, too. Hmm, the evil plot must go deeper. Maybe Bill personally sent your boss money to convince him to buy Windows. That could be it. Or maybe we just don't have any choices. Drat!!!

[ppgreat]

Mediocrity marches on

Enterprise folks, use this opportunity to finally get out of MS. Use
your time, effort, and resources to move to something that will
actually benefit your company instead of force it to do business like
everyone else.

[ToddWBeaver]

No apparant advantage

The key phrase in this article is "using OR evaluating" Vista. How many business have adopted Vista and how many are just evaluating it?

I use Vista Business on my notebook and I have yet to find any advantage of Vista over XP Pro. Vista requires more RAM, more video RAM and faster hardware to get the same performance as XP.

I don't see any real reason for a business to invest in Vista at this time, except they want to be prepared for when Microsoft stops supporting XP. Perhaps I'll see something different when SP1 rolls out.

BTW: I tried to get more information from the link but didn't find anything about the CDW poll on the
"Vista for the Mass" linked page (<http://www.news.com/Vista-for-the-masses/2009-1016_3-6151565.html?tag=st.nl>).

[bwtanker]

Vista

Vista will not be a viable OS with me and most i have talked to.I have used it on another computer and am far from impressed.i'll stick with what i have,XP Pro

[fredtheviking]

Vista, the OS everyone loves to hate.

I used Vista and intentionally got it for my last laptop. I really love to hate it. I love to complain about how slow it is and it reboot twice to handle an update. However, at the end of the day, it gets the job done and it has some nice features to play around with.

I could go to Ubuntu or even get a Mac and have a better user experience, but then I wouldn't be able to complain about Vista, which has always been my favorite pastime. Plus, I use to Windows and all of it annoyances. Changing OSes would be a bit of a pain in the ass... I would have to get use to a new way doing things... which isn't something I want to do.

[technewsjunkie]

AS COMPARED TO WHAT????????????????

Itself?

[Martin_Australia]

Wow lots of MAC venga boys and Opensource trolls on here!

Wow, so much for open and fair minded people! Good to see all the MAC Venga Boys and Opensource trolls on here trying to write their own history which is not only irrelavent but imaginary!

I know more CIO's and IT Managers deploying Vista and Office 2007 and removing Linux. As for Mac's - forget it.

Crawl back into your holes and keep playing in your imaginery world.

MSFT - USD$51B in annual sales and growth of 15% last financial year, hardly a company with products that nobody wants to buy! Read em and weep girls..... :)