XP will stay as long as there is a demand

Implications: Microsoft wants to force users to use Vista. Turning over IT systems to Vista is not necessarily what end user consumers want. Microsoft, although duly invested in selling updates for profit can not force IT departments to max out their software budgets on a new operating system when the old one works fine. Not this year in any case.

Analysis: Microsoft often finds itself in a quandary. It happens every few years. They have a perfectly fine, well adapted operating system and corresponding productivity system on the market. Instead of beefing up current software i.e. a new software pack, they feel a need to come out with a new system. This is understandable, they are in the business of making money. Every few years they must come up with something new and force it onto consumers.

My company's clients for the most part refuse to convert to Vista yet. One the whole they do not trust that all of the bugs have been worked out. Another major problem is the investment it IT procurement dollars. For the many Microsoft users who chose not to buy the software update insurance, the whole push to go to Vista is suspicious. As a group, we do not see the benefit of paying for the switch, especially for SMB. This is particulary true for those of us who use proprietary software which we spent big bucks on tweaking for XP.

Microsoft's phony attitude " We were a little ambitious to think that we would need to make Windows XP available for only a year after the release of Windows Vista," rubs many the wrong way also. Many clients are just coming up to speed on XP hardware requirements. They don't appreciate feeling "forced" to go to a new system when the old one is fine. There is a standard 3 year rotation procurement period that is the tradition in many IT departments. In SMB that can realistically run 1-4 years depending on the technology needs of the organization. For those who do a lot of heavy application use, and have a high hardware turnover, moving to Vista is natural. However, many larger sites, 1000 users or more, would find the move difficult. At the local college where some of my technology consultants  teach computer courses as volunteers, the departments still want Office 2007 and Windows XP to be taught in class. They will not be changing over for another 3 years.

Microsoft because of it's near monopoly will get its way, eventually. However, even the world's biggest software company can not avoid the truth. The true power of the software market is in the hand of the consumer. As long as we demand XP, we will have it; at least for now.