Native Title Tribunal skips Windows XP
The National Native Title Tribunal (NNTT) appears to be in the process of skipping the upgrade to Windows XP, instead flagging plans to move its Windows 2000-based desktop fleet to Vista over the next few years.
NNTT is the key agency responsible for resolving issues associated with the Native Title process for claims to land by indigenous Australians. The agency operates more than 300 desktops and laptops around the nation.
In tender documents this week, NNTT said most of those machines were currently running a standard operating environment (SOE) based on Windows 2000, with Internet Explorer 6 and Office XP.
"While the SOE is strongly adhered to, variations are permitted to meet the specific needs of business units (eg Geospatial). The SOE may vary through the term of the contract," the tender documents said.
However, the same documents flagged plans to replace the fleet with hardware running Microsoft's brand new Windows Vista operating system, which the vendor started selling to businesses last November. The refresh will kick off in May this year and take a period of three years.
Like several other government agencies who are currently refreshing their desktop fleets, NNTT specified its new hardware must run Intel's Core 2 Duo processors, locking rival AMD out of the purchasing cycle.
The Tribunal will purchase copies of Windows Vista Home Basic with the new PCs, and upgrade to a business version of Vista through its enterprise agreement with Microsoft.
NNTT will over the next three years refresh its fleet with some 200 desktop PCs and 90 laptops. The agency is also in the process of procuring some 50 Hewlett-Packard printers.
NNTT declined to comment on the refresh project.
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