CURRENT ISSUE
| Cover Story |
| Columns |
| Vista Readiness |
| Executive Advice | |
| By Eric Gardiner | |
| Wednesday, 01 August 2007 | |
 A new study reveals 50 percent of PCs do not meet Vista's basic requirements. According to a new study by Softchoice, longer hardware refresh cycles and a lack of accurate PC inventory information could mean significant hurdles for many organizations come deployment time. Using inventory data representing 112,000 PCs from more than 472 organizations, the report reveals some startling conclusions: In all, 50 percent of the PCs surveyed did not meet Windows Vista’s basic system requirements and a whopping 94 percent didn’t have the guts to manage the Vista Premium edition. Adding Up the Costs That’s a daunting set of findings. But what does it mean in terms of the cost of preparing for the new OS? Of the 50 percent of systems unable to meet Vista’s basic requirements, about 41 percent are salvageable through basic RAM upgrades. Another 12 percent require replacement of the actual central processing unit (CPU), leaving roughly half for complete replacement. The numbers for the Vista Premium configuration are more sobering still. Of the 94 percent unable to meet the requirements for the Premium edition, 78 percent will require additional RAM, while 16 percent will require CPU replacements. And, 77 percent of the PCs surveyed will need new graphics cards to support Vista in its Premium configuration. RAM upgrades, of course, are well within the reach of the average IT department. Single sticks of 512 MB of RAM typically sell for roughly $50. The installation itself takes about an hour’s work – a relatively minor upgrade by most standards. More labor-intensive – and ultimately more costly – will be upgrading the group lacking the necessary processing power. In many cases, a CPU upgrade may actually mean replacing the PC. This is especially true for notebooks and laptops, for which CPU replacement is often simply not possible. Hard drive size, on the other hand, is probably not a significant concern. The prevailing wisdom seems to be that PCs without enough hard drive space to run the beefed-up OS are more likely to be destined for retirement than for upgrade. Generally speaking, a computer any older than 24 months simply won’t measure up – at least not without a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Why the Gap? Almost six years in the making, the technology behind Vista has advanced significantly. This, at least in part, accounts for the big job awaiting IT. Vista’s minimum CPU requirements have increased a breathtaking 243 percent since XP was released, while the gap between the latter and its predecessor, Windows 2000, was a mere 75 percent. Perhaps the biggest factor contributing to the need for significant upgrades, however, is the practice of maintaining PCs well into their fifth year. Whether because of a lack of lifecycle management or because of the false notion that keeping systems longer somehow saves money, the reality is that many organizations are sitting on aging PC bases. As a case in point, of the systems inventoried for the study, 51 percent were found to be well more than three years old. The survey findings are likely a bigger deal for early adopters, especially organizations without an accurate read on their existing PC environment. Those planning to wait a year or two to deploy Vista are in a much better position – that is, if they’re willing to get their houses in order starting today. As the report makes clear, hardware purchasing decisions made right now will undoubtedly affect the viability of a Vista rollout in the years ahead. Taking Action So where do you go from here? The first step in minimizing exposure to future rollout costs is obtaining an accurate hardware inventory and then using this information to assess the gaps between your current hardware and the requirements of Vista. Unless you’ve got only a handful of PCs to worry about, this stage will require a tool capable of creating a detailed portrait of your PC environment. Microsoft SMS, TriActive, Centennial, LANDesk and a wide range of other systems management, help desk and inventory tools can help capture the necessary data. But, remember, it’s easy enough to collect the information; the hard part is organizing it properly and performing the actual analysis. Whether you do this part in-house or get outside help, understanding your current state and being able to forecast future hardware purchases can significantly minimize expenditures over the long run. Like a lot of businesses, hardware manufacturers prefer to have predictable revenue streams. Most are only too happy to provide deep discounts to customers that can detail and commit to future purchases. Existing licensing contracts are also a consideration. Microsoft’s Software Assurance (SA) program, for example, began as a simple form of software maintenance and has grown to include a number of additional offerings that aim to encourage early adoption. Central to the program is the entitlement to deploy any new software releases that become available during the term of the agreement. Not only do SA customers avoid hefty upgrade costs, Microsoft is also making the Desktop Optimization Pack available to SA customers to ease the concerns of introducing Vista into an existing environment. The package includes asset management capabilities, advanced group policy implementation, and enhanced diagnostic and recovery capabilities. In the end, organizations without an effective management process, or that attempt to decrease hardware expenditures by lengthening the replacement schedule, run a number of risks, the worst of which is being forced to move up planned hardware purchases to support a Vista rollout. Taking steps to assess and adjust hardware maintenance practices is a smart idea for any organization, whatever your timeline. From generating upfront manufacturer’s discounts through accurate forecasting, to better overall asset use, there are big opportunities to reduce expenses. But a good job here means more than just creating a leaner operation. It’s also about the confidence of knowing that come the big day, it’ll be all systems go. Eric Gardiner is the communications manager for Softchoice Corp., a Toronto-based business-to-business provider of technology products and services. Send e-mails to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . |
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