Industry testing of Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 begins

Following the release on Friday of Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 (RC1), Microsoft today announced plans to make RC1 available for broad customer and partner testing. The announcements signal a major step for the technology industry toward the final availability of Windows Vista, currently targeted for volume licence customers in November 2006 and general availability in January 2007.

Microsoft first made Windows Vista RC1 available to a small group of technical customers on Friday, 1 September, and plans to broadly release the code to current Windows Vista Customer Preview Program (CPP) participants this week. In addition, Microsoft will re-open the CPP, a popular pre-release testing programme, to new enrolments in coming days. In total, Microsoft plans to make Windows Vista RC1 available to more than five million customers worldwide.

"Now that we`re expanding the Windows Vista Customer Preview Program, an even broader audience will get to experience just how much Windows Vista has to offer," says Jonathan Hatchuel, Windows Client business group manager: Microsoft South Africa. "The expansion of the CPP program really sends a strong message to the industry and our customers - the time to prepare for Windows Vista has arrived."

Microsoft is broadening the scope of the Windows Vista Customer Preview Program, which began last quarter with the release of Windows Vista Beta 2. The CPP enables developers and IT professionals who do not have access to Windows Vista RC1 through other channels to obtain the code and begin testing.

Also as part of the CPP, technology enthusiasts are able to obtain pre-release code and begin testing the various consumer scenarios Windows Vista enables. Current CPP participants are scheduled to have access to the RC1 code beginning this week, and Microsoft will be opening the CPP program to new participants in the following days. Microsoft will post RC1 to its MSDN and TechNet Web sites for subscriber download, and is working with publishers in various markets around the world to distribute RC1 DVDs to readers of a number of technology publications.

In total, Microsoft estimates that five million users around the world will have access to Windows Vista RC1 across all distribution channels.

More information is available at http://www.windowsvista.com.

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With Windows Vista RC1, Microsoft has made improvements to the overall product stability and reliability, and has enhanced performance and the overall customer experience. Microsoft is strongly encouraging partners to test and certify applications on Windows Vista RC1 in preparation for final product availability. In addition, Microsoft is delivering tools to enable partners to earn and display the "Certified for Windows Vista" Software Quality Logo. The "Certified for Windows Vista" logo ensures the highest-quality Windows Vista experience for customers and enables Microsoft partners to take advantage of program benefits designed to help promote and market their applications and devices. Microsoft also continues to encourage the software industry to test current-generation (Windows XP) applications to earn and display the "Works with Windows Vista" logo. Partners can access these tools by visiting the Innovate on Windows Vista Web site at http://microsoft.mrmpslc.com/VistaPlatformAdoption.

Many partners have already signed up with the programmes and include industry-leading software companies and innovative PC and device and component manufacturers.