Position paper for Webcasting

Chinnapong Somsueb

ID# 1671071

March 12, 2007

Position paper for Webcasting

Webcasting is the "transmission of linear audio or video content over the Internet." (1) The streaming technology is used to share content with many simultaneous listeners and viewers. Therefore, the majority type of content for webcast would be a television-related show. In addition, webcast would be useful in the education industry as well because of distance learning or video on-demand which students can watch and learn at their convenience. There are several the benefits of webcasts such as convenience, accessibility, and using Internet technology.

Due to the use of Internet technology, webcasts can be a convenient way to receive content. Unlike either television or radio which, is on pre-programmed times, we can access to obtain webcast contents at our convenient. For example, people can go to broadcasters’ websites and watch their favorite programs on their free time either at home or school.

In addition to convenience, we can also access webcast contents either by only voice or multimedia such as radio, TV, and any presentation almost everywhere that has computer and internet connection. According to Internet World Stats, as of January 2007, approximately 1,094 million people worldwide use the Internet (1). Therefore, those people could be able to access any webcast contents. This is a huge number of people compared with other types of media. Moreover, the number of people who can access the network is increasing significantly.

Similar to the current TV and radio technology, Internet and multicast technology are also used in webcasting. Therefore, many users can access the same content at the same time. Furthermore, webcasts can be accessed by using this Internet technology from wherever there is a computer with an internet connection. This could spread not only the entertainment materials, but also the education-related content. The education materials will become easier to access. Moreover, this multicast still has an opportunity to be improved and developed in order to be more optimized and delivered a bigger size of multimedia contents.

In conclusion, consumers, students, and broadcasters would be able to gain several advantages from webcasting technology, such as convenience and accessibility. The most significant issue about distributing multimedia throughout the internet is that the speed of the network has to be fast enough in order to receive it smoothly. Additionally, this type of broadcasting depends on computers and the Internet. The Internet is the only channel on which people who have internet can watch and receive contents if they want a webcast. On the other hand, since 1995, the growth of webcasting traffic has roughly doubled year after year. As a result, there are many opportunities for webcasting to grow and to be used widely.

Reference:

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webcast

Joe Farrar

2^nd Opinion paper

Webcasting

The term webcast is generally accepted as meaning “the transmission of audio or video content over the Internet.” Webcasting is not a new technology; it has been around since the late nineteen-nineties. As of late, webcasting has become far more prevalent due to the fact that broadband internet connections are becoming the norm. This increased prevalence, combined with an increasingly savvy user, is changing the way businesses are able to communicate both internally and externally

For example, a CEO can now deliver a speech to all employees in real-time or have it archived to be viewed at a later date. Corporate training videos containing specific product information can also be made available behind the firewall to ensure employees possess the specific knowledge necessary to perform their duties. Additionally, customers are able to support themselves by accessing user-friendly streaming videos developed to answer common FAQ’s. This new form of communicating translates into savings in terms of both time and money for corporations. This savings stems from the end-user’s empowerment to choose when to review material.

New mediums are being introduced via the internet all the time. What was originally looked at as sophomoric and juvenile is being seen as big business. Take the online video site YouTube for example. YouTube doesn’t produce any content and it doesn’t sell anything to consumers. However, it recently was sold to Google for $1.65 billion dollars. The reason for YouTube’s success is because of its reach. It serves up 100 million videos per day to viewers all over the world making it the largest provider of online videos on the planet. YouTube is a mosaic of user-uploaded video content that ranges from cute to just plain bizarre. However, with more people spending more time online and less time watching television, it is able to compete with traditional broadcast companies by offering a range of options for users to view. In the future, I see YouTube becoming even more popular as they have stated that they will begin paying producers of content on a per hit basis. This per-hit model will give video producers more reason to create more entertaining and innovative content, thereby cementing YouTube’s place in the market.

Podcasting is another form of webcasting that uses either a personal compute or a portable music player to pull content that is selected from a list. The word "podcast" is derived from Apples iPod, and is distinguished from other webcasting formats through its ability to download automatically. Podcasts give the user the freedom to take the audio and, increasingly, video content with them wherever they go. Language lessons, corporate announcements, and museum tours can all be pushed down to the user so they can listen or watch it when it is most convenient. I was recently in a church that had a weekly podcast from its archdiocese for the congregation.

Webisodes are new and original content usually provided to supplement the original programming on either cable or television network. This is usually used to promote or advertise a show or product prior to its release. Additionally, original web based content similar in format to television shows have been produced for viewing solely online. However, these online programs usually last only for a few episodes.

As consumers demand these types of content, the technologies that support its delivery will get even better. We can expect surround-sound and high-definition quality video delivered at the click of a mouse. Companies will find ways to incorporate these technologies into their corporate culture and to take advantage of emerging technologies to serve their best interests. In the long run, this means that we can expect both a richer online experience at home and at the office.

Is there room for IM in the corporate world?

"My first position paper"

Posted by Tanner Dabel

Feb. 11^th, 2007

Surprisingly IM (instant messaging) systems were created in the 70’s, but went unnoticed until the mid 90’s. It was at this time that client systems like ICQ and AOL started to resonate with the mainstream population. Many attribute this to our mass awakening of the internet and its common day usage in the mid 90’s. This quickly became the age of the internet, email, chat rooms and instant messaging systems. Communication no longer was limited to verbal or print; it had transcended the boundaries of becoming digital.

Early on IM systems were adopted primarily by teenagers as a social and recreational tool. This was a means to communicate with friends and family through ones computer rather then on the phone or in person. Usage of IM systems often occurred outside of school and the workplace. Due to this informal usage; rules, laws and polices were loosely defined and rarely needed. One needn’t be concerned with the legal, financial or regulatory issues involved with using an IM system for private and personal use.

Slowly over the last decade though, this loosely defined form of digital communication has been seeping into the corporate world. Those users whom were teenagers just ten years ago are in their 20’s and now hitting the corporate world. As the saying goes, old habits die hard. For those who want to eradicate it from their already infected business, I have one phrase for you; “Good Luck!” For those who haven’t been infected yet, I have another phrase for you; “Start planning!” Like a virus with no cure, IM systems in the workplace are spreading faster than the corporate world can coupe with them.

As with an incurable virus, businesses only have one real choice, “acceptance”. But, instead of allowing IM to be an ongoing virus, businesses can morph it into an antivirus; viewed more as a solution, rather then a problem. Basically, you get what you make. You can’t make IM go away, so make it into something positive, rather then negative. IM may be young, but it’s stubborn. Its here and it isn’t going to go away. If a company is smart, it will use IM to its advantage, using all its features working it into the companies’ schema. If a company isn’t, it’ll either a.) bury its head and ignore it or b.) attempt to eradicate and fail.

Since its always fun to discuss the bad news first, I’ll quickly cover why it’s bad for a company to ignore IM as a potential problem and why it’s bad to try to eradicate it from you company. As with most problems, the issue isn’t going to go away. Most likely, the people whom work for you are more technically savvy than you, especially the younger ones. As stated above, old habits die hard. These people have been using IM for years and it’s now embedded in their day to day life. If nothing is done, these people will (if they haven’t already) take it upon themselves to install these IM systems and use them unchecked and uncontrolled. Starting to see how ignoring this could be very bad to your company? Imagine all the confidential leaks, intellectual property issues and privacy concerns that might be occurring and you’ve chosen to ignore it. Oh and this is just the outbound threats. Now imagine all the people your people are talking to. Think a few of them might have viruses, worms, spyware or malware? I bet so, and all it takes is one person to click “accept” for one peer to peer file transfer and now your dealing with a level 3 Symantec threat dancing around on your network. Sounds fun doesn’t it. Those are considered the inbound threats. Lastly, let’s not forget all the legal and financial ground that IM systems seem to tread on. Most of this ground hasn’t been covered yet and has the potential to be a powder keg of lawsuits waiting to happen.

Now let’s discuss trying to eradicate it. How do you plan to do this? Block specific ports that IM systems use? Sorry try again, most current IM systems use port crawlers and can get around this. Tell your workers not to install or use them? Yeah, that’s like telling a kid “don’t touch this”, then walking away and hoping they listened. Block all ports from allowing IM system a way in, yeah, but its going to cost thousands in what I’d consider wasted funds. Oh and you know, as soon as its completely blocked, someone will start developing a “work-a-round” to enable it again. In addition, completely blocking it takes away all the positive uses IM systems have to over. Oh and it gives your workers just one more reason to be disgruntled with you.

Ok, enough dwelling on the negative reaction to IM systems, lets move on to the more logical and beneficial aspects to an IM system. If implement correctly, a lot of the cons to having an IM system quickly evaporate. First things first however, when deciding to implement an IM system you’ve got to round up the troops and get a plan in motion. The best course of action is to bring management, IT and legal together. Management needs to decide on what the IM policy will be. This is very important. The policy should cover how the IM system should be used, when to use it and with who and why it should be used. It should also cover who controls it, who monitors it, who installs and upgrades it. In addition, it should also be mentioned that the IM system is an extension of the company and all incoming and outgoing IMs are subject to being logged and on file for future record keeping, investigations and potential audits. Oh and lastly, the policy needs to cover enforcement and punishment if IM is abused (and it might be good to define what abusing it would entail). Basically, the policy needs to clearly explain all the aspects that could be considered when using IM in the workplace. As this is being done, the IT department should look into what clients are available, and need to start coming up with an implementation, monitoring and upgrading plans for the IM system. IT needs to understand how the system will be integrated into the company and its business function. Lastly, legal needs to be brought into the conversation so they can clearly explain to the company where IM might be abused and how it could impact the company when and if it is abused.

IM systems have plenty of reason as to why they shouldn’t be used. But most of those reasons are only there if the IM systems are not correctly implemented and have no policy or are not subject to any guidelines. If time is taken to correctly implement an IM system and a well thought out policy is developed, many great things can be done with IM. The key to running an IM system within your company successfully is to understand everything there is to know about that IM system and to communicate this information to your workers as well. Knowledge and awareness will go a long ways in turning this potential problem into a great solution.

So, let’s go back to that initial question: Is there room for IM in the corporate world? Simply put; I don’t think we have a choice. IM systems are working their way into businesses left and right. Weather we want them or not, they’re going to seep in. Now that they are here, let’s work at turning it into a positive situation, rather then allowing it to be a negative one.

“Peer to Peer Revisited…”

My first of two follow papers for MSC 760

By Tanner Dabel

March 7^th, 2007

As with the prehistoric age of the dinosaurs; traditional peer to peer (P2P) computing is no more. The idea of having a one to one connection is outdated and is quickly being replaced by a more clever way of accomplishing the same thing. This new way is a protocol called BitTorrent. Its inception was just a few years ago, but like that of the mythical asteroid that caused mass extinction for dinosaurs; BitTorrent’s impact has been profound.

The protocol is fairly simple; it replies torrent clients and torrent files. Someone wanting to use BitTorrent technology needs to have a torrent client. This can easily be found at any of the torrent websites out on the net. Once this client is downloaded, one can use the client to create torrent files. These torrent files contain meta data about the file to be shared or available to others on the same network. The information on the torrent files usually consists of a URL that directs a torrent trackers (part of the torrent client) to other trackers (other clients) that host the actual file on their computer. Torrent files also have hash code tables and checksum code to help trackers determine how to cut up and distribute the file wanting to be shared. Now the nifty thing about BitTorrent is it prides itself on a one to many type connection. When someone goes to find an archive of torrent files, they select the file they are looking for, the tracker of the torrent file goes out to the network and looks to see who all has a copy of the file one is looking to download. Once it’s been determined who has it, the hash tables are used to start randomly pulling pieces of the file in 64 kb to 1 mb sizes, slowly constructing the file. Say 20 people on the network have the same copy of a specific file you’re looking to download, when you execute the torrent file associated with file you want, chances are you’ll start getting pieces from those 20 computers out there on the network.

There are many pros and cons to using a system like this. Beginning first with the pros, the over overwhelmingly obvious pro is that of speed. Through the means of being able to pull down multiple pieces of the file all at the same time, you’ve now increased the amount of data flowing into one’s computer. The speed at which the data is flowing in is unaffected and going at the same speed as it always has been, but the amount of points (or entry ways via “pipes”) has been increased to be more than the traditional one point/pipe. Underlying pros to using BitTorrent also include redundancy checks so that no only is the file as a whole checked for errors, but each incoming piece of the whole is also checked for errors. Another benefit to using BitTorrent is alleviating some of the distribution costs and responsibility on the original source of the data. As soon as more than one copy of a file is available on the network, distribution of that file is a shared process, rather then an individual process. This cuts down on bandwidth issues, hardware wear and tear and in some cases hosting costs. This also removes dependency issues on the original person who has the copy of the file one is looking for. In the traditional peer to peer (P2P) computing one was dependent on the source they were downloading from. With a one to one connection, as soon as the distributor of a file went off line, the file was no longer available and a dependency block occurred. With BitTorrent, if one person goes off line, as long as other copies are on the network, requests to fill those pieces of the whole can be answered by other computers.

Quickly discussing the ideal venues in which BitTorrent can be used would be any in which the license of the content can legally be secured, or instances in which the license either is not enforced or is open to the public. Good examples of this would be Open Source Software projects (Linux is currently using this to push versions of Linux OS and patches), independent musical bands that want their music in the hands of as many people as possible, or companies like BitTorrent, inc. or Sub Pop records who deal solely in the distribution of legally bought and licensed material. Another area greatly affected by the technology is the digital multi media industry. On a corporate level, BitTorrent technology would be ideal for them considering the vase amounts of data that is moved around and stored by these companies.

Moving on to discuss the cons, the primary issue at the present time deals with the unintended uses of BitTorrent. Specifically speaking, the moving around and sharing of files that are in direct conflict with the copyrights attached to them. Because BitTorrent allows the moving around and sharing of any type of computer file, this includes, but is not limited to movies, games, applications and music. All of these types of files usually have specific copyrights on them and licenses agreements. However, with the lack of enforcement mechanism on most torrent sites, there are not controls in place to restrict the sharing of illegal content.

Briefly diving into the legal issues that have arisen from BitTorrent, though the inception of it was only a few years ago, BitTorrent’s rap sheet is a mile long. The key players in this are the MPAA (movie industry) and the RIAA (music industry). Over the last three years they’ve come at entities insisting on abusing the BitTorrent technology. Supernova.org whom use to be the popular torrent hub on the internet was quickly and abruptly shutdown in December of 2004. This marked the beginning of the end for BitTorrent abuse. Soon LokiTorrent look the helm of being the popular torrent hub, 3 months after Supernova bit the dust, LokiTorrent was next. They hit finical troubles and quickly became controlled by those who were hunting it; the MPAA. Later that year, EliteTorrent was raided and shutdown by the FBI. In November of 2005 BitTorrent.com made an announcement that all content linked to the torrent files they archived would be legal and legitimate files not infringing upon copyright laws. This was a bold move for the BitTorrent arena as one of the “members” of the community was now showing that it was possible to enforce copyrights on the material that was being accessed through the torrent files hosted at these sites. Popularity of BitTorrent.com quickly fell. Since then a company has risen by the name Pirate Bay. They have been raided in the past, their site has gone down from time to time, but thus far they continue to prevail. Given enough time however, the MPAA and RIAA will catch up to them legally speaking. Until then, Pirate Bay is working desperately to secure an island in international waters that they can claim as their own, not under the protection of copy right laws. If this actually occurs, they will have created a first; a digital nation which is centrally located on the islands servers, but citizenship would be decentralized globally around the world.

Other cons that go against the BitTorrent technology are minor security issues and some networking limitations, but currently the largest barrier for BitTorrent is the legal issues that have given it a black eye in the few years of being around. I think as soon as the abuse of the BitTorrent technology goes down and no longer is in the limelight, the real power of BitTorrent will finally come to light and be used to revolutionize how we move and share information on the global level.

The follow up BitTorrent paper.

Chinnapong Somsueb

ID# 1671071

BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer (P2P) file distribution protocol. It is using the distribution of large amounts of data widely without the original distributor incurring the whole of the corresponding costs of hardware, hosting or bandwidth resources. It was originally run under the BitTorrent Open Source License. There are several compatible clients who can use this type of protocol, written in a variety of programming languages, and run on a number of computing platforms. There are several advantages to BitTorrent protocol such as legalized protocol, alternative distribution channels, utilization of computer and networking resources, and an innovation of internet technology.

Unlike some peer to peer applications, the BitTorrent implementation is open source. BitTorrent itself does not offer a search feature to find files and makes no attempt to cover the host ultimately responsible for facilitating the sharing. Noticeably, there are several legal uses of BitTorrent protocol, such as a distribution channel of companies and individually owned or licensed materials, Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service), a scalable internet-based storage service, and the distribution channels of free and open source software. For that reason, this is a good opportunity for businesses to find ways to expand.

Moreover, BitTorrent could be a distribution channel for samples of music, videos or movies in order to lunch them into the market. This alternative would be a channel for internet and torrent users who might not be reached by other media. The market of both new artists and open source software would be spread through BitTorrent.

In addition, BitTorrent protocol allows the usefulness of computer and networking resources to become more effective. In replacement of using the client-server model, BitTorrent uses similar technology in the peer-to-peer method. Therefore, every computer represents peers who function both as clients as leechers and severs as seeders, who use the same torrent. As a result, a large number of files will be distributed and delivered throughout the internet without loading them onto any particular server.

New innovations or technology would be created to support the use of this innovation. As it is one of internet protocols which was innovated in order to find alternate methods of file distribution. If any technology becomes successful, the improvement or new technology will come after that success. In particular, programmers are free to take the BitTorrent source code to the program and modify it for particular purposes. The success of BitTorrent could encourage upcoming innovation. Thereafter, we will have more advanced technology in the future.

Even though BitTorrent boasts the advantages stated above, there are some disadvantages such as copyright and legal issues, computer security and networking problems, and networking resources. However, we can protect users from these disadvantages by avoiding any inappropriate websites and software and using it for a specific purpose. Furthermore, we should be aware of our own risk and protect our vulnerable data from any threats. Finally, people have a right to use any software that they want to in a proper manner. Thus, we can gain several benefits from this protocol, such as a legitimate protocol, an alternative channel of file distribution, utilization of computer and networking resources, and an innovation of internet technology.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BitTorrent

http://dessent.net/btfaq/

Open Source Software

“First Follow-up Paper”
By Kamakshi Samala

Open-source software refers to any computer software whose source code is available under a license or arrangement such as the public domain that permits users to study, change, and improve the software, and to redistribute it in modified or unmodified form. It is often developed in a public, collaborative manner. Open-source software generally allows anybody to make a new version of the software, port it to new operating systems and processor architectures, share it with others or market it. The main aim of open source is to let the product be more understandable, modifiable, duplicatable, reliable, simply accessible, and be still marketable. It’s more like plug and play depending upon ones business requirements. Examples of open source licenses include Apache License, BSD license, GNU General Public License, GNU Lesser General Public License, MIT License, Eclipse Public License and Mozilla Public License.

The participants of open source software, who are mostly volunteers, are distributed amongst different geographic regions and they use tools to collaborate in source code development. Often these tools are available as open source software. Source code availability also makes it much easier to isolate bugs, and helps a programmer to fix them. By having the source code available, it is possible to perform a thorough inspection and verify the correctness of the algorithm and the implementation scheme used. Revision control systems like Concurrent Versions System (CVS) and Subversion (svn) are examples of tools that help centrally manage the source code files and they help make changes to those files for a software project. Examples of some of the successful open source projects and organizations are: Apache Software Foundation, Eclipse Foundation, Java, JBoss, Linux, Mozilla Foundation, MySQL, Open-Xchange, OpenOffice.org, etc.

There are many advantages of open source software. Some of them are follows:

There is no one with the power to restrict in a unilateral way how the software is used. Such a power helps, for example, when a proprietary software vendor decides not to upgrade some software product for some old platform. In this case, customers can only stick to the old version of the software or switch to another product. If open source software is used, customers can also fund some development for the desired platform, or look for other vendors to provide the upgrades of the same product.

There is no single entity on which the future of the software depends. This is a very common concern with proprietary software. Say for example that a company uses a software product and relies on the software manufacturer for upgrades and continued development. If the software manufacturer closes doors or decides to discontinue development of the product, no one has the right to take the program and continue development on it, which would in turn kill its usability in the market. This then leads to mergers in the software market which then usually leads to cannibalization of some software product allowing just one or two to get to the market. Open source software protects against this, because if the group or company that originated the code decides to stop development, it is always possible to fund another software group to continue the maintenance and improvement, without any legal or practical limitations.

No per-copy fees can be charged for modified versions, and anyone can use the current code to start new projects. Working knowledge can be gathered at a minimal cost. This is what made internet software systems such an important factor in the new economy. Students and people trying new technologies are able to integrate and adopt them immediately, without the hurdles of commercial or non-disclosure license agreements.

There are fewer conflicting priorities due to marketing pressures. Usually open source software is delivered when it is ready, and when the development team feels that its quality is good enough. This means that software usually does not need as many service packs, updates and helps to reduce the maintenance cost. This could turn into disadvantage if a product is indefinitely delayed, or if some feature is missing one release after another. In this case, the competition between projects generally helps. If a project starts failing to meet the expectations of its users, more often new project is introduced by using the same code base, to fill this gap. This happens especially if there is market for some new features or for better quality versions of the application.

Open source software is a low cost alternative to proprietary software. If we take an example of the open source Linux operating system, it is commonly seen as a low cost alternative to Microsoft's operating system, or Sun's version of Unix. The popularity of open source is seen in the fact that today the largest market share for web servers is held by the open source Apache system. If we take the example of Microsoft, suppose when Microsoft announces a new version of its Windows Server operating system, it invariably phases out support for older versions of the system. Users who are satisfied with older versions of Windows will be eventually forced to upgrade if they want to continue receiving vendor support. In contrast, there is no forced upgrade cycle with open source. Older versions of open source products continue to be supported through the open source community and third party support providers as long as there is demand in the marketplace for such support.

When we compare open source from closed source (or proprietary) software, advocates of closed source argue that since no one is responsible for open-source software, there is no incentive or guarantee that it will be fixed, and there is nobody to take responsibility for negligence. Basically it’s argued that there is no support for open source software. To counter argue, it’s true that open source support usually consists of forums. In practice, existing users of open-source software appear perfectly happy with open-source support arrangements. The breadth of resources available for open-source applications is so great worldwide that we can get support, communicate with a developer or download a patch say within a day. Some open-source applications also have support offered by the original developers. JBoss, for example, is backed by JBoss Group, which includes the 10 core developers who wrote the application. Depending on the contract, users can obtain 24/7 professional support. Another example can be MySQL where MySQL Network offers 24/7 support by having direct access with the developers as necessary to handle problems.

I would say that for software buyers, the best strategy is to consider mature and established open source products as well as proprietary software products that adhere to open standards. In this way, buyers can choose the best software product for the job, by considering the fact that the value of their investment will be preserved without locking the organization in to a single vendor solution. If they do decide that Open Source software is right for them, then they should examine all the various software options carefully first.

• Is the software well established or is it still in its infancy?
• Are there regular updates, patches and new features?
• Is there a support forum?
• Are the support forums active?
• Do forum participants help each other out?
• Are reputable companies using the software?
• Is the documentation complete and coherent?
• What are the general costs with hiring contractors who are familiar with the software?

The bottom line is there are a number of ways to chart successful open source business strategies. Open source provides a powerful tool for getting a business on a faster revenue trajectory, for improving value, and for out-maneuvering the competition. If we consider different business models, some of the models parallel traditional commercial software; others invoke new services or businesses. Examples like Amazon, Google, Neoteris, etc. demonstrate that Linux, MySQL, and other Open Source software can even help companies that are not strictly in the software business achieve tremendous growth and profitability in a relatively short period of time.

Business managers should understand open source business strategies and determine which strategies are useful for their companies to adopt. Investors should consider the models when evaluating companies they may be considering for their portfolios. Therefore, identifying trends quickly and taking action towards adopting a right source of software would be a powerful advantage for any type of business.

Microsoft Vista Operating System

“First Position Paper”
By Kamakshi Samala

After more than five years of intensive efforts, Windows Vista is finally complete. Vista is the successor to Windows XP, the PC operating system which is currently used by over 400 million people. This new operating system is a major Windows update with lots of new functionality and features. In the words of Microsoft, it’s a new operating system which is "Confident, Clear, Connected." It's the first Windows version which provides developers with a major new programming model in ten years.
The first difference of Vista from Windows XP is Windows Aero, an entirely reworked user interface with semi-transparent windows. Microsoft has put a great effort into Vista's appearance. Its new typeface gives the program a modern feeling and subtle animations make its even more attractive. New programs include the Sidebar, a floating layer of single-purpose programs called gadgets; flip 3D presents all open windows in all programs, and visual and feature upgrades are very nice. But the more important areas of improvement are security, stability, ease of implementation, support and improved performance. Intelligent navigation and more powerful file-manipulation tools improve its efficiency.

According to Microsoft, the system requirements for Vista don’t look too daunting: 800 MHz processor with 512 MB of memory, at least 15 GB of free space on a minimum 20 GB hard drive with SVGA graphics. This clearly indicates that Microsoft is referring to the minimum specifications. But migrating one’s PC to Vista means it will need updated drivers for one’s printer, Ethernet card, audio card and other hardware and one may also have to deal with incompatible programs. Microsoft offers six versions of Vista. In all editions of Windows Vista, there are new diagnostic tools and monitors to check and report on the current status of our PC. All editions of Windows Vista include Microsoft's free antispyware application, and Windows Defender. Despite all these features, users claim that Vista runs better in computers with plenty of computing horsepower.
There should be tangible reasons to make the upgrade to Vista. Microsoft offers several reasons starting with security. The security features which are standard with Windows Vista include an improved User Account Control system and built-in malware (spyware, adware, virus) protection. But are the new security features alone enough to compel a small business to upgrade to Vista? I would say probably not, unless the small business already experienced a security breakdown.

Other features like ReadyBoost allow a Windows Vista machine to be able to use a single USB flash memory drive as a caching tool. The Windows XP Standby and Hibernate features have been replaced with a new Sleep option. It works a little differently depending on whether the computer is a desktop or laptop. In the desktop version of Sleep, anything in use is stored to both system RAM and hard drive. This would allow the computer come out of Sleep mode in around 2 to 3 seconds. For laptops, Sleep works by storing data in RAM if battery power is sufficient. When the battery power level has diminished, the data is automatically transferred to disk for protection.

There are many other operating system improvements incorporated into Windows Vista such as improved backup, new explorer tools, simplified networking, search tools, and many more. Even though there are several different versions of Vista, most small businesses will likely focus on Vista Business.

With the launch of Windows XP, Microsoft promised users a more stable operating system which they delivered. For Windows Vista, Microsoft is pointing to a more secure platform. Recalling the service packs and continual updates for Windows XP, a more secure Windows in Vista would be a welcome situation for both users and small business IT support.

Windows Vista promises enhancements that will not only improve the computing experience, but also advance mobile communication. Such features of mobility combine common notebook-focused features, a suite of enhanced security tools, and a Network and Sharing Center. Although these mobility features might tempt organizations to migrate their notebook computers ahead of their desktop PCs, but this would be an ill-advised move. Firstly, migration to Vista or any new platform promises to be a complex process. Planning and validation for a migration should be based on business requirements. Second, even the best-planned Vista migration is likely to encounter unforeseen problems that are best worked out from a fixed location, that is, from the desktop. Third, Vista's security features, even though attractive, offer nothing specific to notebooks and are nearly all available from third parties on XP. Organizations requiring near-term mobile security should better use the third-party tools than to rush and compromise with Vista migration.
Microsoft promotes Vista as a remedy to a large number of mobility challenges like power management, network awareness, offline access to important data, multiple displays, readability, etc. and these new features do make headway in these areas. Although Vista's mobility features are useful, they are not essential. None of them constitute an immediate requirement for any organization. Considering all of the new features along with the concentration on security, will small businesses allocate the necessary resources to implement Windows Vista? Some will, some won’t. For the small companies whose systems are nearing the end of their lifecycle will consider Vista. Vista is a clear improvement over Windows XP, but small businesses who have recently upgraded their system would probably wait till Windows Vista is widely adopted. As a result, organizations should resist the idea of early migration ahead of desktop computers, unless specific business issues are being addressed.

From the economic impact point of view, analysts emphasized that while Microsoft will earn a great deal of money through Vista, even more will be generated by European companies within the Microsoft "ecosystem." Some researches say that Germany, U.K., France, Denmark, Poland and Spain, which collectively account for more than 65 percent of IT spending in the European economic zone (the EU, plus Croatia, Norway and Switzerland) are representative of Europe as a whole and, for that matter, they are much of the developed world. Therefore, the launch of Windows Vista in six large European countries will create more than 50,000 technology jobs and will lead economic benefits for companies there.

The International Data Corporation (IDC), commissioned by Microsoft Corp., has released a research study that reports how the Windows Vista operating system will drive significant economic growth in the United States in its first year of shipment. It indicates that Windows Vista will provide a foundation for the information technology market moving forward, creating more than 100,000 new jobs and driving $70 billion or more in revenues for Microsoft's partners and the industry at large. The impact of Windows Vista on the U.S. market will drive substantial revenue and growth for many companies that are part of the Windows ecosystem i.e., companies that sell hardware, write software, provide IT services or serve as IT distribution channels. The study predicts that the release of Windows Vista will help more than 200,000 U.S. IT companies that will produce, sell or distribute products and services running on Windows Vista. This would also include many small and locally owned businesses. The study forecasts that each dollar of Windows Vista-related revenue earned by Microsoft in 2007 will generate more than $18 in revenue for the IT industry at large. The IDC study also shows that the Microsoft ecosystem is making a sizable investment to roll out Windows Vista worldwide. IDC expects Microsoft partners to invest approximately $10 billion in Windows Vista- related products and services between now and the end of 2007. As these products and services gain mass-market adoption over the course of the next year, IDC expects Microsoft's partners and others in the IT industry to generate more than $70 billion in revenues directly tied to Windows Vista. This includes revenue from manufacturers that sell hardware for running the new operating system, revenues for non-Microsoft software packages built to run on Windows Vista, and other services supporting Windows Vista.

The major pros of this operating system are the beautiful user interface and security improvements. The cons are the significant hardware requirements and compatibility issues with current hardware and software. Despite Microsoft assertions about the improved reliability of Vista, I would wait and see its approach. Microsoft's previous operating system, Windows XP, required two "service packs" issued over a number of years to improve security and new flaws are still routinely discovered. Therefore, the decision to upgrade the system to Windows Vista now or wait depends on the firm and the age of its PCs. Like all new operating systems, it will take time for the major bug fixes to come out (say around six to 12 months). Most likely many existing hardware devices will not work without driver updates from their manufacturers. Vista includes thousands of drivers but most of them have been created directly by Microsoft. Many hardware manufacturers do not yet have drivers available for Vista. According to a leading market intelligence firm, IDC, more than a year after the release of Windows XP, only 10 percent of the world's business community was running it. Vista is a much bigger step taken forward than XP was, and from corporation point of view, I think we can expect it to be adopted at the same rate or slower than XP.