Adoption of Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system will happen at a faster pace than any previous operating system release, a software analyst predicted last week.Up to 15 percent of PC users will move to Vista within the first year that the operating system is available, said David Mitchell, the software practice leader at Ovum. “That would make it the fastest-moving operating system ever,” he said.By comparison, between 12 percent and 14 percent of users switched to Windows XP during the first year of its release, Mitchell said.Vista is likely to gain traction in the market from quick adoption by both corporate and consumer users. For example, companies that participate in Microsoft’s Software Assurance licensing program will automatically get upgrades to Vista, Mitchell said. “On the consumer side, there has been a bit of pent-up demand. Just look at the beta adoption in the consumer space—it’s very high,” he said. Vista will be available to business customers on Nov. 30, with the operating system available to consumers in January. For users who buy a new computer before Vista is released to consumers, Microsoft is now shipping Vista upgrade coupons with computers that are sold with Windows XP.The upgrade coupons mean that Microsoft will not be hurt financially by missing the year-end holiday shopping season—a peak time for computer sales. While corporate and consumer users will quickly move to Vista, the adoption prospects for Office 2007—which goes on sale at the same time—are less clear. While many users may now see no need to upgrade, once Office 2007 starts to make its way into companies, users may find themselves upgrading to keep pace, Mitchell said.Overall, the rate of adoption of Office 2007 will be lower than Vista during the first year, Mitchell said. “You don’t get the OEM drag effect. If you buy a new PC, you get a copy of Vista. You don’t necessarily get a copy of Office,” he said.-Sumner Lemon, IDG News Service (Singapore Bureau)Related Links: Beyond Vista Forrester: Consumers Won’t Flock to Microsoft Vista Microsoft Windows Vista En Route to Manufacturing Microsoft Taps Partners to Ease Vista CompatibilityCheck out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Freshworks When your AI chatbots mess up AI ‘hallucinations’ present significant business risks, but new types of guardrails can keep them from doing serious damage By Paul Gillin Dec 08, 2023 4 mins Generative AI brandpost Sponsored by Dell New research: How IT leaders drive business benefits by accelerating device refresh strategies Security leaders have particular concerns that older devices are more vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. By Laura McEwan Dec 08, 2023 3 mins Infrastructure Management case study Toyota transforms IT service desk with gen AI To help promote insourcing and quality control, Toyota Motor North America is leveraging generative AI for HR and IT service desk requests. By Thor Olavsrud Dec 08, 2023 7 mins Employee Experience Generative AI ICT Partners feature CSM certification: Costs, requirements, and all you need to know The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification sets the standard for establishing Scrum theory, developing practical applications and rules, and leading teams and stakeholders through the development process. By Moira Alexander Dec 08, 2023 8 mins Certifications IT Skills Project Management Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe