Microsoft Windows Vista for Small Business
Is Now the Right Time for Your Business to Switch?
Are You Ready for Windows Vista?
The Windows Vista Decision-- Should it be on Your Desk?
The pros and cons of Vista:
Hardware, processor and memory requirements of Windows Vista are greater than ever.
However, Microsoft has said it will help your company:
- Find and use information
- Enable a mobile workforce
- Improve IT security and compliance, and
- Optimize the desktop infrastructure.
Consider these key factors:
Before your business implements Windows Vista, we recommend you consider these key factors:
- Age of your workstation hardware
- Application compatibility
- Need for Vista features
Contact IT Support Squad for IT services or strategies
iT Support Squad can help your small business evaluate the pros and cons of upgrading. If you need IT services or strategies, we can help. Contact us or learn more about Windows Vista:
- IT Support Squad Total Care: Information Technology Management Services
Windows Vista Overview:
The Windows Vista product lineup consists of six versions, two for businesses, three for consumers, and one for emerging markets: Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Ultimate and Windows Vista Starter.
Windows Vista: Designed for Businesses of All Sizes
Business customers can choose from two versions that are designed to meet their needs, based on the size and scale of their organisations:
| Windows Vista Business |
Windows Vista Enterprise |
Windows Vista Business is the operating
system designed for organizations of all
sizes. For small businesses, Windows Vista
Business will help keep PCs running
smoothly and more securely so they are less
reliant on dedicated IT support. For larger
organizations, Windows Vista Business will
provide dramatic new infrastructure
improvements that will enable IT staff to
spend less time focused on day-to-day
maintenance of PCs and more time on adding
strategic value to the organization. These are
some of the specific features of Windows
Vista Business:
A new user interface, named Windows
Aero™, is designed to deliver the most
productive, highest-performing desktop
experience possible. Windows Aero will
provide a professional-looking, transparent
glass design, with subtle effects such as
dynamic reflections and smooth animations,
along with Windows Flip and Flip 3D
desktop navigation features.
In addition to these navigation
improvements, Windows Vista Business
makes it easier than ever to manage huge
volumes of business documents.
By integrating search throughout the
operating system and providing new ways to
organize files, Windows Vista Business helps
business users quickly find exactly what they
are looking for.
Windows Tablet PC technology provides
built-in handwriting recognition and enables
interaction with the PC with a digital pen or
fingertip instead of a keyboard.
|
|
To better address the needs of large global
organizations and those with highly complex
IT infrastructures, Windows Vista Enterprise
is designed to significantly lower IT costs
and risk. In addition to all the features
available in Windows Vista Business,
Windows Vista Enterprise is designed to
provide higher levels of data protection using
hardware-based encryption technology. It
also includes tools to improve application
compatibility and will enable organizations to
standardize on a single worldwide
deployment image with the inclusion of all
Windows user-interface languages.
Windows Vista Enterprise is available only
to customers who have PCs covered by
Microsoft Software Assurance or a Microsoft
Enterprise Agreement. These are some of the
specific Windows Vista Enterprise features:
Windows BitLocker™ Drive Encryption
helps prevent sensitive data and intellectual
property from falling into the wrong hands if
a computer is lost or stolen.
Virtual PC Express is one of several built-in
tools that improve application compatibility
with previous versions of Microsoft operating
systems. Virtual PC Express enables a legacy
application to run unchanged on a legacy
Windows operating system in a virtual
environment on top of Windows Vista
Enterprise.
Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications
enables users to run UNIX applications
unchanged on a Windows Vista Enterprisebased
PC.
The new user interface Windows Aero is also
available in this edition of Windows Vista. |
Windows Vista Ultimate is the edition of Windows Vista that has it all. It brings together all the entertainment features, mobility features and business-oriented features available in Windows Vista. If your small business chooses to buy a Home edition instead of Business, choose Ultimate, which includes:
• The new user interface Windows Aero
• Search is integrated throughout the operating system, helping manage large collections of documents, pictures, movies, videos and music
• Windows Media Center
• Windows Tablet PC technology
• Integrated DVD burning and authoring
All new versions are available for either 32-bit or 64-bit systems, depending on the needs of the customer. Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate and Business will be available as a full-packaged product at retail and on new PCs. Windows Vista Enterprise will be offered only to business customers participating in Microsoft’s Software Assurance program.
What will your business PCs need to run Vista?
A new PC that carries the Windows Vista Capable PC logo can run Windows Vista. All editions of Windows Vista will deliver core experiences such as innovations in organizing and finding information, security, and reliability. All Windows Vista Capable PCs will run these core experiences at a minimum. Some features available in the premium editions of Windows Vista—like the new Windows Aero user experience—may require advanced or additional hardware.
A Windows Vista Capable PC includes at least:
• A modern processor (at least 800MHz)
• 512 MB of system memory
• A graphics processor that is DirectX 9 capable
Windows Vista Premium Ready PCs
To get an even better Windows Vista experience, including the Windows Aero user experience, ask for a Windows Vista Capable PC that is designated Premium Ready, or choose a PC that meets or exceeds the Premium Ready requirements described below. Features available in specific premium editions of Windows Vista, such as the ability to watch and record live TV, may require additional hardware.
A Windows Vista Premium Ready PC includes at least:
• 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• 1 GB of system memory
• Support for DirectX 9 graphics with a WDDM driver, 128 MB of graphics memory (minimum), Pixel Shader 2.0 and 32 bits per pixel
• 40 GB of hard drive capacity with 15 GB free space
• DVD-ROM Drive3
• Audio output capability
• Internet access capability
Need some advice?
iT Support Squad can help your small business evaluate the pros and cons of upgrading. If you need an IT strategic plan or IT services, we can help. Contact us or learn more about IT Support Squad Total Care, our comprehensive approach:
• IT Support Squad Total Care: Information Technology Management Services