Vista SP1: Behind Microsoft's strategy

Microsoft Vista SP1 is coming sooner rather than later.

Mary Jo Foley reports that Microsoft will drop SP1 some time next week. With it Vista will add a few new features, but the impact goes far beyond that.

For enterprise technology managers, the launch of SP1 in November is the equivalent of telling CIOs to "start your upgrade engines."

In the end, that's what SP1 represents--the start of a corporate buying cycle. There will be many ways to portray the reasons behind the SP1 launch, but in the end this move is about wooing the reticent corporate buyer.

Some reasons why SP1 is going now:

• It's positive for the upgrade cycle overall. For Microsoft SP1 is just good business. Consumers may be waiting for SP1 also.
• Google forced Microsoft's hand on SP1 disclosure. Google's whining to the DOJ about desktop search on Vista could have forced Microsoft to disclose SP1's launch earlier. The SP1 schedule appears to be the same one originally reported.
• Microsoft realizes that corporate IT managers were hellbent on waiting for SP1. And if that's the case why wouldn't Microsoft move Vista SP1 earlier than later? The SP1 timing was probably well outlined well before Vista launched. Microsoft was looking to get that initial demand so it didn't mention SP1. Now that SP1 is out the door it can fuel corporate demand of Vista and all the stuff like Office that rides shotgun with it.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has more on that last point.