by CIO Staff

Microsoft Confirms Nov. 30 Vista Release to Enterprises

News
Nov 02, 20062 mins
Small and Medium BusinessWindows

Microsoft, the world’s leading producer of software, on Wednesday confirmed that it will release its much-anticipated—and oft-delayed—Windows Vista operating system (OS) to enterprises on Nov. 30, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports.

Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft did not provide a release date for the consumer edition of the OS, according to the Post-Intelligencer, though the announcement suggests the software giant is on track to meet its slated early 2007 Vista release to retailers.

The Windows OS is Microsoft’s most profitable offering, and Vista’s launch has been delayed on multiple occasions over the past years, the Post-Intelligencer reports.

Microsoft has not yet released Vista to manufacturers—which signifies that the offering has completed its development stage—and it hasn’t set a specific date when it will do so, according to the Post-Intelligencer. The firm had most recently planned Vista’s release to manufacturers (RTM) for late October, but it bumped the RTM date at the last minute due to a bug within the software.

In March, Microsoft disappointed retailers when it announced another Vista delay that would cause it to miss the profitable upcoming holiday season, the Post-Intelligencer reports. Last week, to allay some of the concern on the part of PC retailers regarding lost PC sales, Microsoft announced a program under which it will offer Vista upgrade coupons to people who buy a Vista-compatible PC between now and March 15, 2007.

Another indicator that Microsoft could meet the January Vista consumer release date: the fact that it released its first complete release candidate (RC1) of the OS in September, according to the Post-Intelligencer. A number of testers of the RC1 software said it seemed stable.

Related Links:

  • Microsoft Vista RTM Date Bumped Due to Bug

  • Testers: Microsoft Windows Vista RC1 Seems Stable

  • Microsoft Clarifies Vista Licensing; Users Still Not Pleased

  • Microsoft Offers Windows Vista Upgrade Coupons

  • Microsoft Windows Vista Enters Widespread Beta Phase

This article is posted on our Microsoft Informer page. For more news on the Redmond, Wash.-based powerhouse, keep checking in.

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