“Microsoft partners were provided adequate training for six months on applications that run on Windows Vista and also how to work with Vista machines”

Rishi Srivastava believes that the Windows Vista operating system will give
users a better IT experience. He is especially confident that sectors like ITeS
and banking in the country would benefit immensely from the increased security
features that the OS offers

Microsoft's Windows Vista is ready and out. How has the feedback been so
far?

The new version of Windows, the Office release and Exchange Server are the
result of the collaboration between Microsoft and its customers. We went into
broad consumer beta to approximately two million users in the second quarter of
2006. Real-life scenarios guided the product development and we worked in more
than one billion user sessions. During testing, customers from around the world
downloaded more than five million beta versions of the products and provided
valuable feedback and suggestions.

In India, there has been an overwhelming response from both customers and
partners with over 3,50,000 Office 2007 Beta 2 CDs and 5,00,000 Windows Vista
Beta 2CDs accessed thus far.

Rishi SrivaStava Director-Windows Client Buisness GroupMicrosoft Corporation

Who are the target customers for this new product?

The Windows Vista operating system is aimed at empowering business users and IT
professionals by reducing IT complexity and cost through enhance­ments in
security, application compatibility and deployment.

But doesn't Microsoft have OS for these customers already?

With Vista, the focus is on improving the experience, reliability and quality of
the operating system to provide a more complete and productive business
environment for customers. Together, Windows Vista, the 2007 Microsoft Office
system and Exchange Server 2007 provide the core platform that will enable
businesses to take advantage of the benefits of Internet-based software
services.

Can you elaborate on the enhanced security features of Vista?

The Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) implemented in Windows Vista is
designed to minimize the operating system's attack surface area. This helps
organizations to securely manage and protect their networks. New features such
as Windows BitLocker, Drive Encryption and Encrypting File System protect
against data loss or theft. Windows Rights Management Services Client and Group
Policy help enterprises control access to their information and devices. User
Account Control, a new set of infrastructure technologies helps organizations
deploy a better-managed desktop.

To help users prevent, detect and remove malware before it causes problems,
Windows Vista has a personal firewall along with Windows Service Hardening to
prevent critical Windows services from being used for abnormal activity.

How does Vista help optimize desktop infrastructure?

Windows Vista provides new features that, when coupled with a mature
infrastructure, enables businesses to spend less time on the day-to-day
maintenance of their PCs. The operating system analyzes network availability and
adjusts data transfers to ensure seamless, fast transfer over networks. Vista
makes it easier to create security policies based on IPsec and includes support
for Internet protocol version 6 (IPv6), so enterprises can take advantage of a
larger network address space.

The new Windows Imaging (WIM) format allows multiple images to be stored in
one file, enabling IT professionals to reduce the costs to deploy, maintain and
update all PC users across their corporate environment.

What are the benefits of the new search option in Windows Vista?

Windows Vista has a set of new, enhanced tools to find, share and use critical
business information. Improved search, organization and
information-visualization tools help users access critical data more quickly.
There are new productivity tools for seeing the contents of files without
opening them; finding applications and files instantly; navigating efficiently
among open windows; and traversing wizards and dialog boxes with more certainty.

How does Windows Vista help connect the mobile task force in an
organization?

New features make it easier to manage mobility settings and make important
information accessible to more people. Business professionals can use Windows
Mobility Center to configure their wireless connections, set brightness
controls, and specify power-saving options from one location.

For users to keep their information synchronized as they move between locations
using mobile devices, the Sync Center provides a single place to control data
synchronization- between PCs and servers and between PCs and devices. New
features like Windows Meeting Space enables face-to-face virtual meetings among
as many as 10 users, on or off the corporate network.

How has Microsoft prepared its partners for the delivery of Windows Vista?

Like with any other product, our partners have been provided adequate training
for the last six months on applications that run on Windows Vista and also how
to work with Vista machines. We believe that sectors like BFSI and ITeS would
benefit big time from the enhanced security features of Vista in the India
market and we have equipped our channel ecosystem-the ISVs and OEMs with all
the necessary information to take Vista-ready machines to the customers.

Subbalakshmi BM