Big guns set their sights on new Vista


1 Dec 2006

Technology giants HP, Dell and CA have all revealed the various steps they are taking to accommodate and support the new Microsoft Windows operating system Vista, which will debut in Ireland next Tuesday.

HP yesterday unveiled a broad portfolio of “Microsoft-ready” products and services aimed at ensuring its customers have a seamless transition to Windows Vista and Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.

The company said that its ProLiant and BladeSystem servers, StorageWorks products and software are interoperable with the new operating system.

As well as this nearly all HP notebook, desktop and workstations PCs are available in Windows Vista Premium Ready configurations.

“HP has worked extensively with Microsoft to develop complementary products and services across our portfolio that help customers realise the full value of the latest Microsoft offerings,” said David Booth, senior vice-president and US country manager, Technology Solutions Group, HP.

Dell also said yesterday that its latest server and storage products, desktops and notebooks are designed and optimised to accommodate Vista, Office 2007 and Exchanger Server 2007.

The company said that Dell engineers logged more than 100,000 hours testing and validating software for its customers.

“This high degree of diligence exemplifies our commitment to put our engineering expertise to work for customers,” said PJ Dwyer, the newly appointed general manager for Dell Ireland. “Dell is taking the guesswork out of software transitions to help customers take back control of their information technology environments.”

Business software player CA’s Irish operations also highlighted its preparedness for the new operating environment. It said that Windows Vista is designed to reduce the time, complexity and cost of PC deployment, maintenance and security.

Alan Nugent, chief technology officer at CA, said the company’s technologies support and complement these objectives by providing value-added functionality for systems management, security, data protection, business service optimisation and compliance.

“CA has been at the forefront of Microsoft support since the earliest days of Windows,” said Nugent. “We look forward to helping all of our customers make the most of these next-generation solutions as they leverage their new features and functionality.”

By John Kennedy