Talking with clients in recent months, it's clear that most understand the need to migrate to Vista - not immediately, but as soon as they're ready (most expect to start doing this in 2008). However, the motivation is invariably not to obtain the new features or capabilities offered by Vista, it's to ensure they keep their PC installed base within Microsoft's 10-year support cycle. Most regard their existing Windows operating system (OS) as "good enough" and will migrate because the old system is "wearing out," not because the new one is better.

Although this may disappoint the technology enthusiasts, it is also refreshing: It demonstrates that most organizations understand the business value of ensuring that all their PCs run a supported OS and, therefore, get security patches. It shows that organizations recognize that the key question regarding Vista migration is "when," not "if." However, it also raises new questions for most users: Having pragmatically accepted that they must plan their PC deployments around Microsoft's OS road maps, they now want to know what comes next. What will the OS look like after Vista and when will it come?

We, at Gartner, have ideas on this (see "Vista Will Be the Last Major Windows Release as We Know It"), but Microsoft is not yet disclosing any information. We hope that during the next few weeks and months, Microsoft will be able to address this lack of communication with its customers.

Although Microsoft will be necessarily distracted by promoting and marketing Vista, it needs to start being more open with its future plans. This may be a challenge for its current way of working, but it would provide a better reflection of what Windows really represents to most organizations: a key building block of their IT plans. Most organizations have a long-term, evolutionary relationship with the Windows OS, and by sharing more of its long-term plans for Windows, Microsoft could better position Windows and itself for the future.

Submit a Comment | Permalink

Can I get a copy of this article if I don't have access go Gartner?

Thanks!