MS admits Vista challenges

Microsoft SA has conceded there have been difficulties for resellers and end-users around the launch of its Vista operating system. It states there have been problems with its communications to its channel.

Microsoft Windows business group lead Colin Erasmus says these communications were not properly planned. It has three campaigns in the pipeline for this year to rectify the situation, he notes.

Local distributors, OEMs and resellers have been battling with bulk image blasting, the time and expense of downgrading unhappy customers back to Windows XP, and second-line support.

Says Tarsus CEO Pierre Spies: "Vista doesn't support bulk image blasting; it's just not here yet. We believe the product was launched too soon. [Microsoft has] a lot of catching up to do. Corporates are buying new machines with Vista on and downgrading to XP, in anticipation of Vista being ready in the next two to three years. They are buying the licence, but do not plan to use it until the product is ready."

Spies says the situation is interfering with the company's business model. "We're taking serious flak. We've got people arriving in droves to downgrade."

He says the company is downgrading roughly 25% of the Vista machines it sells. "Consumers are not taking a long-term view like the corporates are, they just want it gone."

This, he says, impacts support because the company has to handle calls from customers, as well as the clients that arrive at its offices wanting downgrades. Further, he says, this impacts corporate roll-outs, which are far more time- and resource-consuming without bulk image blasting capabilities.

The cost to downgrade, for which Tarsus charges customers R100, is around R400, says Spies. "In the last two months we have downgraded 4 000 units, and that excludes the big roll-outs."

Microsoft's Erasmus says OEMs can click here for information on ImageX, a command-line tool that enables OEMs and corporations to capture, modify and apply file-based disk images for rapid deployment. Systems builders using the OTK kit can click here.

As far as downgrades are concerned, Erasmus says: "Downgrade rights exist for OEM Vista Business & Ultimate editions to Windows XP Professional. The customer/system builder can contact the downgrade call centre on 0800 995 637, choose option four, and tell the operator they want to exercise their downgrade rights to obtain their product key for XP Professional."

Acer SA country manager David Drummond says his company's main concern is that there was some delay in the market, while customers waited for Vista's launch. "We haven't seen compensation for that slowdown in terms of demand."

Acer SA took an average of 30 Vista-related calls a day through March and April, regarding patches, drivers, and information on how to downgrade. This has now fallen to around five a day, Drummond says.

Vista machines have been in store since end-January, he notes, but Microsoft's channel launch only took place on 8 May, "and we are still in some discussions as to how to transfer customer calls that need to be escalated. Currently, we call Microsoft and then call the customer back."

Drummond adds Acer is still getting calls from customers who purchased XP machines with Microsoft's Technology Guarantee, which entitles the customer to a free upgrade to Vista. "The complaints are around the fulfilment centre not responding, or unilaterally cancelling some customer orders. We've had multiple complaints about the centre," he says, noting that most customer calls, however, were for downgrades not upgrades. "The legalities around that took months."

"Microsoft is aware of the delay in some CD shipments and is currently diligently working on resolving these delays. We can confirm that if customers did submit the correct documentation timeously, that their CDs will be shipped to them," says Erasmus.

Also of concern, says Spies, is the scheduled discontinuation of XP.

"At this stage," says Erasmus, "availability of XP to OEMs will be discontinued at the end of January 2008 and for system builders at the end of January 2009. The decision to extend availability will be a global decision and will be based on feedback from the channel."

Erasmus says partners or customers needing assistance can contact Microsoft on 0860 22 55 67.